Become A Magical Knight!
by I'mjustawriter
Summary: A Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU for Black Clover: "If you want to change fate, make a contract with me and become a Magical Knight!" Starting it off as a strange dream about a beast, a bird, and a boy, Asta is pulled into a world beyond his comprehension. As his life begins to unravel around him, Asta finds himself chasing the threads of fate whispering hidden truths in his ear.
1. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 1

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

The walls around him were distorted, their appearance resembling black and white clogs turning. The floor's checkered tiles, much like that of a chess board, blurred beneath his feet as he ran. He didn't know how long he was running nor where he was going. All he knew was that he had to keep following the path before him. Not that there was any other way to go as the space he passed disappeared into nothingness.

He had just about run out of energy when he came to a clearing. As he slowed to a stop and caught his breath, he looked around to see if anything about the new area was familiar. With the tiled floor and the steel-threaded beams seemingly stretching on forever, it wasn't like any other place he had been to before. A few staircases framed the circular surroundings, each one leading to a doorway. A green light to his left caught his attention. _Exit_.

He let out a slight sigh of relief before walking towards it as his footsteps echoed behind him. He climbed the left staircase and came to a door that reminded him of a prison gate. Still, it was better than wherever he was. He tried to push on it and, to his relief, it was unlocked. Albeit, it still weighed a ton and resisted him mightily as he pressed his own weight against it. With a final hefty shove, it opened with a _clank_.

His eyes widened as he took in the new scene before him. The burnt, gray sky. The floating pieces of debris around him. The colossal, dead, and gnarled tree that he now stood on. Torn buildings surrounded the tree and littered the land. Some floated among chucks of debris, drifting with the clouds in a whirlwind of destruction. His heart thumped painfully in his chest as a shiver of terror ran down his spine when he gazed upon the eye of the storm. There, in the center of all the destruction, floating above the ruined city with storm clouds orbiting its form, stood a deadly leviathan. _A demon_ , something whispered inside him.

It reminded him of Frankenstein's monster. Its stitched skin was as pale as a corpse and wore a ghastly crown of snow-white locks that ran down its spiked spine. It had four arms and two legs, with each palm holding a blood-red cross that lay embedded in the center. A lizard-like tail could be seen behind it, sweeping back and forth. Two dark, bat-like wings, whose edges were ripped and jagged, sprouted out of its large, crimson-stained torso. Dual horns hugged its head, and streams of, what seemed like, blood flowed from its three eyes into a crooked grin that housed large, serrated teeth. Behind its body, a ring of fire burned and casted a hellish halo.

"What the hell?!" left his lips in a startled yelp as he turned back towards the door he had exited from, nearly tripping in his haste. However, when he spun around, the gateway was gone. More alarming was the fact that the tree he had been standing on, just moments before, had been replaced with the cold steel of a now broken bridge. The grim, timber giant faced him in the distance. He whipped his head back towards the ruined city to see if anything else had changed.

Following the flashing red lights of streetlamps, he could just make out the blurry shape of a person's figure atop a skyscraper. The other was facing towards the creature, and, despite being far away, Asta could still somehow picture what the guy looked like. Lean build, amber eyes, messy black hair. He wore a white long-sleeve tunic with dark purple cuffs. Around his torso, he wore a short, dark-purple robe that had an intricate design of four-leaf clovers woven in lighter-purple strands. Black fur lined the border of the hooded-robe and matched a black rope that was wound around the black button securing the cloth to him on his left shoulder. He wore dark pants which stretched all the way down his legs and was only partially covered by his black boots. The boots themselves had a small purple four-leaf clover design, similar to his robe, running up the sides. Completing his outfit, dark-purple straps held a pouch on his right hip. In his right hand, he held a midnight tome with an amber cross that held a golden four-leave clover in the middle and corners of four-pointed stars that reflected back towards its center.

He couldn't tell why he knew what the other boy looked like, nor could he explain what the tugging feeling growing inside himself was. Before he could settle his mind enough to process what was happening, the boy leaped into the sky, racing towards the creature. Asta could only watch as two buildings collided and fell on the other's location. He ran to the railing of the broken bridge, leaning as far out as he could to gain a better vantage point. Something in him was desperate to see that the other boy was okay. The boy reappeared in a flash a purple light a moment later, and something inside of him breathed a brief sigh of relief.

The Demon above jerked to life as it lifted its two main arms, holding its hands together in a cupping motion. Blue light streamed from its palms and shot out towards the other boy. He dodged the first attack, but the second attack met the boy head-on. The glimmering, violet light of a barrier had cracked and fizzled upon contact. Even from his vantage point, Asta could see the other was becoming overwhelmed.

"He's in trouble!" Slipped passed his lips as his grip on the railing increased. His chest tightened as another phrase left his mouth, "I've got to help, somehow!"

"We can't do anything about it," a new voice spoke beside him. He snapped his head to the left to see a small bird perched on the railing beside him. Or at least what he thought was a bird. It had a sleek, blue-black coat with its tailfeathers forming an arrow at the tip. Its black beak stood out among the red coloring of its face. The front of the bird was white with its neck being fluffed out like a collar. Atop its head, a pair of feathers appeared like twin horns and stood out against the sleek appearance of its body. Its slanted eyes gave off the feeling of disinterest, or neutrality, in terms of the current events. Before he could question if the words he heard had indeed come from the bird's, it looked towards him, and the strange voice filled the air once more. "It's surely too much for him, but I'm sure he was prepared," it stated plainly.

Asta's gaze shifted towards the other boy once more. He had been rushing towards the demon, only to take another hit from a flaming orb. The attack sent the boy flying back into the storm of destruction. A few pieces of wreckage collided with him as he fell towards the distant, timber giant before his body was ensnared by the dead tree's branches. The immediate lack of movement gave a bleak clue into the other's current state. If this pattern continued, it was clear the boy would die.

"I can't just stand here and watch!" He declared as he turned towards the bird, "There has to be something I can do!" He looked up once more towards the other, who thankfully was twitching back into consciousness. Though he could almost sense that the boy was trying to tell him something, no sound reached his ears.

"As soon as you give up," the bird said, getting Asta's attention once more, "It's all over." The bird turned its head to clean its wings a bit as it calmly stated the next part, like it was common sense or small talk about the weather, "But you. You can change this destiny." Asta's muscles tightened as he straightened up in surprise, the words hitting his core. When the Demon let out a bloodcurdling war-cry a moment later, he covered his ears and winced. "Grief. Destruction. They are inevitable unless you change it," It continued, unaffected by the sound waves, "You possess the power to do so."

He looked at his hands before balling them up into fists. "Someone like me can change all of this?" He questioned. He whipped his head towards the bird and took a step forward. "What do I have to do?!" He shouted, trying to be heard above the beast.

" _If you want to change fate, make a contract with me and become a Magical Knight!"_

He blinked at the bird's words in slight surprise before taking a deep breath. Determination filled his veins. He met the bird face-on and opened his mouth to answer. Above him, he could feel something like a voiceless scream.

* * *

His eyes snapped open as his body hit the floor with a _thump_. Sitting up and rubbing his face, he muttered a quick, "Ow." He looked around the room in confusion before realizing he was in his bedroom at home. His eye twitched lightly in irritation as his mind replayed the dream. "The hell was that about?!" He shouted as he flailed his arms, almost as if to curse at fate. The echoed cry was answered by more disgruntled shrieks beyond his door, telling him to quiet down.

Asta rubbed his face as he finished putting on his school uniform. He made sure that the light tan dress shirt could pass as acceptable despite the small wrinkles here and there. Bending down, he tied his brown shoes and brushed off his dark pants as he straightened. Putting on his signature black headband among his messy ash-blond hair, he took care to ensure none of his bangs would bother his face. Green eyes grew wide as he glanced at the clock.

"Crap! I'm going to be late!"

With a panicked yelp, he grabbed his red tie and black blazer and bolted out of the bathroom, down the stairs to the dining room. As he stood in the entrance, he smelt Sister Lily's cooking, potato pancakes to be exact. He saw her head pop out from the kitchen, no doubt having had heard him thunder down the stairs. Her blue hair swayed slightly as her teal eyes looked as exhausted as the rest of her expression, though her smile was fond. "Running late again, Asta?" She asked before tilting her head towards the waiting plate of toast.

Father Ofai was already eating at the dining table, shaking his graying head at Asta. He pinched the bridge of his nose before returning to reading his paper. He was too used to this event to even comment on it. Nash was the only other one at the dining table, scarfing down pancakes. The other children were most likely still getting ready for elementary school. Unlike Sister or Father, the reddish-brown haired child had no trouble telling Asta what he thought.

"When is he not late? We're lucky he makes it to school at all."

"Hey, you punk! Respect your elders!" Asta halfheartedly responded, though his attention was preoccupied with wrapping his tie around his neck, grabbing the piece of toast, and making sure he didn't leave his blazer behind again. He waved goodbye to his family as he jammed the toast into his mouth, tussled Nash's hair enough to earn him a yelp of dismay, and stumbled out the door to the sound of "Have a good day at school!" Racing down the steps of the church that had been his foster home for as long as he could remember, he made a beeline for the school road along the canal as he tugged his blazer on.

* * *

"Dorksta!"

Ahead of him, he could see the slender-form of his friend, Noelle, standing among the tree-rows waiting for him with her foot tapping impatiently. Unlike him, she wore the female uniform. A tan, long-sleeved blouse with a big blue ribbon tied on the collar that was accompanied by a black, plaid skirt, white thigh-stockings, and tan shoes. She wore her silvery hair in pigtails, though her bangs still fell over her forehead. Pink eyes regarded Asta's messy tie with slight disdain, the orderly person in her no doubt wanting to command him to fix it. But, as they had been friends for years now, she, like Asta's family, had learned that they couldn't fix Asta's habits even if they tried.

"If we're late, you better buy me a sweet to make up for it!"

Asta laughed off her complaint and promised he would if they were, as they began to quicken their pace to school. The exercise cleared his mind a little, though he couldn't help but drift back to the dream he had. That nagging feeling had faded somewhat, but there was still something he couldn't place. Noelle, beside him, had begun chatting about her AP classes, upcoming projects, etc. The normal conversations to their daily routine. Even though it was normal for Asta to barely follow her rambling, he would always attempt to listen at least. Today, however, his mind was preoccupied with the morning vision. It was fading, but he could still see a glimpse of amber eyes if he tried.

"-sta."

If he focused hard enough, maybe he would find out what was bothering him.

"-sta!"

 _Bam!_ Asta walked face-first into a tree trunk. As he backed up a bit daze, he blinked and looked towards Noelle who appeared like she was having trouble deciding between laughing or face-palming. "Serves you right," she said, though Asta could sense the concern in her tone, "I've been calling you for the past five minutes."

Asta rubbed at the back of his neck as he straightened his clothes. They were near the school now, the glass building glimmering in the horizon. "Sorry," He mumbled, still a little dazed from hitting the tree, "I've just . . .been thinking about a dream I had last night." Upon seeing red spread to Noelle's cheeks as she snapped her head away and raised her hands to her ears, Asta quickly amended, "Not that kind!"

"I-I knew that!" Noelle stammered, "I was just . . . fixing my ponytails, duh." She tightened them as if to make a point, though her cheeks were still warm from embarrassment slightly. Asta rolled his eyes but didn't point out her obvious excuse. As Asta opened his mouth to explain, the two of them heard the toll of the school bell.

"Ahh! I knew we were going to be late!" Noelle shrieked as they began sprinting. They reached the school-yard, the normal point where they would have to go on separate paths for most of the day as Noelle was in one of the advanced classes (something Asta knew she was extremely proud of). "Meet me here after school," she commanded as she pointed her finger at Asta, "You owe me a treat!" Which was her subtle way of telling him she wanted to know what was up with him today. Waving goodbye, she finished by calling over her shoulder, "You better hurry before Mister Yami notices!" Paling at the last comment, Asta doubled his speed to class.

* * *

Yami, known officially as "Professor Sukehiro," was the teacher of that was infamously known as the "Black Bulls" of the school. Misfits too rowdy to be called the black sheep, the nickname of bulls stuck with them – more or less because of the teacher. Not that anyone would guess he was one if they looked at him. He was a tall man with black eyes who looked more like a body-builder than a professor. He sported black hair that was combed messily backwards along with the combination of both a stubble mustache and beard. It wasn't uncommon to see the man smoking a cigarette from time to time, but he was either outside or near a window when doing so. He had on his usual tan slacks and an untucked white tunic-shirt, his teacher-blazer slung over his shoulder like a towel. He was famous for his short temper despite being a man of few words. Even so, Asta wouldn't trade him for another professor. Yami didn't care where someone came from, even if they were a "problem child," and always believed that anyone could overcome their limits. That alone was enough for Asta.

Finral Roulacase was Yami's assistant teacher. He was a slender man of average height and build with "droopy" eyes and unruly dirty-blond hair. He wore a light-green dress shirt tucked into black trousers with a neatly-done black tie and black shoes. The polar opposite of Yami, Finral made the class at ease with his smiles. He was an earnest man who probably didn't get paid enough to help, to the best of his abilities, reign in the rowdy Black Bulls and keep them on track. Though if the situation grew too intense for his liking, he would step aside and let Yami handle it his way. The only reason Asta could think of Finral being paired with Yami was the fact Finral was known to be a flirt among most of the female professors and staff.

It was another one of those days where Yami decided that he had taught enough for the day and unceremoniously dumped the rest of the lesson to Finral to handle. Finral was struggling to get the class to listen as Yami leaned back in his desk chair, no doubt to take a nap, when a knocking from the door resounded throughout the room. Finral sighed and opened the door. Vanessa Enoteca, the Black Bulls' student adviser, stood waiting at the door. She was a tall, voluptuous woman with long, wavy pink hair. She wore a black cardigan with a red-violet dress that probably just met the dress code. Her outfit finished off with dark purple stockings and thigh-high red-violet boots. From the way Finral, Vanessa, and Yami acted around each other, anyone could tell the three had known each other for a long time.

"Another day in paradise?" Vanessa snickered as she stepped into the classroom.

"You know it," Finral answered tiredly as he tried to address the Black Bulls. It was a sign of his mental exhaustion that he didn't attempt to flirt with her. He nearly jumped a foot in the air when Yami pounded his fist against the whiteboard.

"Listen up, you brats, or I'll kill ya."

Whether Yami was joking or not, no student dared to ask, even some of the most rambunctious ones like Magna Swing or Luck Voltia. The class settled down quickly, and when their focus was on the front, Yami jerked his chin in a nod towards Vanessa. Vanessa thanked him while Finral muttered something under his breath that was no doubt pertaining to wondering why Yami couldn't have done that sooner. Vanessa cleared her throat.

"You'll be having a new student in class for today," she said cheerfully, "He's actually in Professor Vangeance's class, but the school needs just one more day to make room." Eyeing the class carefully, she continued, "That being said, I'm sure everyone will be sure to make him feel welcome regardless." As excited murmurs began to overcome the students, Vanessa finished with, "I'll go get him." As soon as she exited the room, the classroom fell into chaos once more, much to Finral's chagrin whose attempts at getting them to settle were in vain.

Asta could hear someone say out loud, "I wonder if they'll be a good fighter?" Luck, most likely, judging by the groans of other classmates that followed that statement. It wasn't that Asta didn't share the excitement for a new classmate, even a temporary one. Truth be told, he was nearly bouncing in anticipation, but that nagging feeling came back with vengeance. He closed his eyes in thought, trying to will it away. It wasn't until the class became quieter that Asta looked towards the door again.

Vanessa had returned and stood beside the entrance. Quiet footsteps followed momentarily, and in came a hauntingly familiar boy with amber eyes. "He's really pretty," a voice in the back of the class said in awe that spurred a couple whispers of agreement. If the boy heard them, he didn't react and just kept walking. When he reached the middle of the room, he turned to face them. Asta squinted at him slightly, despite being seated in the front row due to his height (he wouldn't be able to see over most of his classmates otherwise). The feeling in his chest intensified.

Suddenly his eyes widened as his brain paired the boy before him with the one from his dream. Albeit, he was wearing the same uniform as Asta with a red tie, rather than whatever Asta had imagined him in. Still, there were too many similarities for his liking. Had it not been for the fact that when Asta put two and two together, he had sucked in a breath of air so quick that he choked slightly before going into a coughing fit (which gained him a few eyebrow-raises in his direction and a kind _thump_ on the back in an attempt to help him), Asta probably would have let out an accidental shout that broadcasted his thoughts. But even still…Something felt off with this introduction. Buzzing static filled Asta's mind.

* * *

 _A lean boy with amber eyes and messy black hair was fiddling with his backpack strap. His light-tan dress shirt was wrinkled slightly at the cuffs as he picked at it. The black blazer was unaffected and looked neatly pressed. He wore the same black pants and brown shoes as the rest of the students. His tie was crimson in color and neatly done. A couple of times, the boy had reached a hand up and readjusted his black-rimmed glasses. Overall, he seemed nothing like the type of students that usually came to the Black Bulls class. Asta watched as the other boy got more and more anxious through his introduction._

* * *

Vanessa motioned to the boy to introduce himself. He stood straight, looking out at both the class and nothing in particular. "My name is Yuno Akemi," he said in a neutral tone. There was a pause before he continued as if it was an afterthought, "It's nice to meet all of you." Vanessa spelled his name on the white board as, "Juno Akemi," which caused Yuno to turn around and correct it to "Yuno" without so much as batting an eye. He gave a proper bow to the class.

* * *

" _Why don't you tell your classmates about yourself?" Vanessa asked._

 _"U-um…M-my name is Yuno Akemi. P-pleased to meet you."_

 _Vanessa wrote on the board "Juno Akemi." Asta could see from the corner of his eye that Yuno wanted to say something to her but chose to bite his tongue instead. He returned to fiddling with his backpack strap as his eyes nervously looked back at the ground. "Remember that, even though he's only here for the day," Vanessa said patting Yuno's shoulder slightly, making the poor boy flinch, "That you do your best to make sure he feels welcome~" As she exited the classroom, Vanessa finished with, "I want all of you to help him out, okay?"_

* * *

"Let's give him a friendly welcome," Vanessa said as she clapped her hands. The rest of the class followed. As they were clapping, Asta could sense Yuno focus on him. Asta blinked, and the moment was gone. Yuno quietly walked to his seat as Vanessa waved goodbye, and Finral picked up the marker to continue teaching to the few who would still listen to him. Yami settled back into his chair for a nap, considering his job done for the day.

* * *

The bell rang as a signal for the scheduled break. As expected, a group of students began to crowd Yuno's desk to pester him with questions about his life up until now. One of the students, Magna, slammed his hands on Yuno's desk with a loud _bang_ that failed to startle the boy. Hair-sleeked back into a silver and black mohawk, Magna adjusted his sunglasses and gave off the very aura of being a "punk." All he was missing was his signature baseball bat he stored in his locker.

"Think you're a cool guy, huh?"

Yuno didn't even give a sign he heard Magna as he continued to stare blankly forward. When Magna waved a hand in his face, Yuno blinked and replied with, "Sorry, I must be out of it because of the moving." Though his bland tone suggested anything but an apology, Yuno continued on before anyone could react, "I think I should see the school nurse. Can someone lead me there?"

Magna snorted but leaned back to holler at Asta, "Yo, shrimp-sta! Pretty boy here needs an escort!" Had Asta not been used to Magna's voice and manners, he would have taken "shrimp-sta" as an insult. Instead, he nodded as casually as he could despite the fact his heart was racing. Being alone with Yuno after this morning's vision was not one of the things he wanted to particularly do today, but Asta had never backed down from a challenge or helping someone in need. Instead, he tried to tell himself that seeing Yuno in his dream meant nothing.

Yuno stood to meet him, and together they walked into the hall after snagging the pass from the wall. While Asta was supposed to be the one leading Yuno, it felt like the other way around. Yuno moved slightly ahead of him as they passed by the other classrooms, making turns without hesitation. "Hey, Yuno! Wait up!" Asta yelped from behind as he picked up the pace. Curse Yuno's long legs.

When they reached the walkway that was the connection between the student and faculty buildings, Yuno finally paused. Despite the sunlight filling the hallway from the sky outside, Asta could feel a shiver of apprehension run down his spine as something ominous filled the air. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to break up the tension filling the atmosphere. Yuno beat him to it.

Spinning around, Yuno met Asta's eyes as he asked in a grave tone overflowing in seriousness, "Asta Kaname, do you treasure the life you currently have?" Before Asta could react, Yuno pressed on with, "Do you consider your family and friends precious?"

Taken back for a moment, Asta blinked before shouting back, "Well, duh! Of course, I do! They're all precious to me!" Images of his family at the church, of Noelle, and his classmates flashed in his mind. He couldn't wrap his head around where Yuno was going with this. Yuno twitched slightly at his answer.

"Do you really?" Yuno asked, doubt beginning to color his voice.

Irritated, Asta's eye twitched as he snapped, "Yes! I don't have a reason to lie, do I?!"

Undeterred by Asta's response, Yuno forged on. "I see," he said calmly. Clouds fluttered by in the window, casting shadows on his face. "If that's truly the case, then you won't try to change, right? You're satisfied as you are, right?" He added. Asta's face began to scrunch in confusion, but Yuno didn't let him reply as he continued with, "Because if you do, if you change, you will end up losing everything you hold dear."

Asta couldn't even form a response. He didn't understand what Yuno was saying. Perhaps the other knew this as he sighed and tried to relax the tension shown in his shoulders, maybe to appear friendlier. "You should stay as you are, Asta Kaname," He reiterated, "Stay as you are, and you'll be fine."

Having said his piece, Yuno turned around and continued down the walkway, leaving a dumbfounded Asta behind. It was only when his figure disappeared with the _click_ of a door, did the trance Asta was in break. "Wh-What the hell?!" Asta repeated once more, feeling he had said the phrase today more than at any other time in life. Just what was that conversation?!

* * *

Noelle swirled her straw into her smoothie as she listened to the last of Asta's tale. They were the food-court at the mall afterschool since Asta seemed almost too eager to put some distance between himself and the building. Or a certain confusing someone. "So," she said slowly as she digested the information, "You first saw him in a dream this morning, then he transferred to your class for the day, and now he left you in the walkway after a vague conversation." She took a swig of her smoothie. "Did I get it all?" she asked evenly.

Asta, for his part, thought a moment as he inhaled his French fries. After their "conversation," Asta had spent the rest of the day trying to avoid interacting with the strange boy. But keeping his attention off of Yuno was more challenging then it seemed. The other was great at _everything_ : math, gym, etc. That wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was that Asta _knew_ Yuno was watching him. For every time Asta looked towards Yuno, their eyes would meet and Yuno would jolt his attention somewhere else. But maybe that could be chalked up to Asta's paranoia. "No, that's basically everything," He answered through a mouthful of fries. Then frowned and grumbled something along the lines of "Stupid, handsome jerk" as he shoveled more fries into his mouth.

"Maybe," She said after a brief pause, "It's déjà vu." A smirk graced her face. "Or you two knew each other in a past life like soulmates," She teased as Asta choked on a fry. He shot her a dirty look as he pounded on his chest to stop himself from suffocating. "Come on, Asta," Noelle soothed as she handed him a napkin as his fit was dying down. "In fact," Noelle said as Asta reached to eat another fry, "You could say I may be a bit jealous. After all, it's not every day that you get to meet your dream guy~" _Cough!_ Down went another fry wrong. If Asta hadn't been trying to revive his lung at that moment, he would have given his childhood friend a glare. Noelle snickered before getting up to go find him some water. "Don't die before I get back, Dorksta," she laughed as she left.

" _Help…"_

Asta blinked and looked around, wondering if he had imagined the words. The food court was mildly crowded today, but there was no one close enough to him to make their voice that clear. As if it was spoken in his ear.

 _"Please…Help…"_

Standing up, Asta pushed his seat back as he began to look around. No one appeared to be distressed.

 _"Help me. . ."_

Leaving the table, Asta wandered towards the stairwell. While he could pretend the voice was just his mind playing tricks, the pit in his gut told him otherwise. The strangeness of his dream and Yuno's appearance made anything seem possible. Besides, if it _was_ just in his mind, he could lie to Noelle and say he was looking for the bathroom. No harm in just checking.

His feet brought him to the construction zone. Despite numerous signs warning him not to, he opened the door and peaked into the dark room. Suddenly, something from the vent fell and hit the floor. Rushing into the room, Asta bent down to examine it. A chill ran up his spine as he confirmed with grave familiarity that it was the same bird from his dream, kind of. This bird was more beat up and covered in fresh wounds that appeared throughout its body. Without hesitation, Asta picked up the small creature as carefully as he could and stood up.

A couple pipes falling down caught his attention, and he turned towards the darkness of the area beyond him to see a figure approaching. On instinct, Asta backed up a couple paces before the figure's image cleared into Yuno. Except, the other wasn't wearing his school uniform anymore. If anything, it was an exact replica of the one Asta had seen in his vision, right down to the tome in his hand. His face was becoming what was, at least to Asta, his signature stoic gaze.

"You shouldn't be here," Yuno stated. He held out his hand and gestured towards the bird with his eyes. Asta couldn't help but note that his hand held a purple stone in the middle with the same emblem as his book on it.

Asta clutched the bird closer in response, careful to not agitate its wounds. "Did you do this?" he demanded. Yuno didn't react in the least, hand still outstretched. His tome began to glow ominously despite its golden hue.

"That doesn't concern you," Yuno pressed, "Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Asta angled his body away from Yuno, keeping an eye on him while trying to remember where the exit was. Before the two boys could make a move, Yuno was blindsided by a spray from a fire extinguisher. Asta stood frozen in surprise for a moment.

"Don't just stand there admiring, Dorksta! Run!"

Hearing Noelle's voice, he turned towards it and saw her emptying the entire canister on the other boy. Rushing past her, he saw her chuck the now empty fire extinguisher at Yuno. He heard the resounding _thud_ and a small hiss of pain behind him. Noelle raced up to join him.

"What have you got yourself into, Asta?!" She asked breathlessly, "And what's with the bird?"

"Honestly," Asta answered, "I don't know." The two of them continued to run, but it was almost like the world around them was distorting. It looked more like a theater show as props and actors appeared like magic in the distortion's haze. Then like fog clearing, two wool balls with mustaches materialized before them, as weird as it sounds. The two of them stopped in response. Yet the creatures didn't react to the presence.

"It's. . . Kind of cute," Noelle murmured as she reached forward to touch one of them. However, Asta stopped her in time to narrowly save her hand from being bitten off by it. Gasping, she took a step back. They turned to go back in the direction they came. Facing Yuno seemed better than whatever these things were. But more wool balls appeared before them. Surrounding them. "What do we do?" Noelle whispered. Thinking fast, Asta handed Noelle the bird. Out of the two of them, Asta was stronger physically and had a better chance of fighting them off just long enough to give Noelle a chance to escape.

Before either side could make a move, a bright light appeared near them. Stepping through the shining doorway, a petite girl with black shoulder-length hair styled into an upside-down bun with the fringes framing her face and green eyes stepped into the room. She was wearing their school uniform with a yellow bow, though Asta didn't recognize her. Perhaps she was an upperclassman. She made eye-contact with Asta and Noelle and winked, not the least bit frightened of the scene before her. Pulling out a necklace with a yellow stone that held on it a symbol of a fork and knife crisscrossing in front of a three-leafed clover, she grabbed the rock as it began to glow.

Suddenly, the girl was in a different attire. Her hair was the same except for a fork and knife sticking out of her bun, forming an "X," with her necklace's stone in the middle atop her head. She wore a beige skirt with black tips accompanied by a white, long-sleeved puffed shirt. Attaching her shirt and skirt together was a brown corset. Finishing off her outfit, she additionally wore gray and white-striped leggings, and bumblebee colored knee-high boots. In her hand, an amber tome with the same markings as her gem was held.

Opening the book, Noelle and Asta were surprised when she suddenly shouted, "Sheep Strike!" Her grimoire glowed, and a giant ram resembling a stuff-toy appeared before her in a _puff_ of cotton. It proceeded to sucker-punched the row of wool balls, making them vanish. Snapping her fingers together, she repeated her action and summoned two more sheep. The girl then walked over to Asta and Noelle, brimming with the confidence that her sheep could take care of the other creatures.

She was just a bit shorter when compared to the two of them. Still, she looked them both in the eye and struck a pose. "On your knees, bitches!" She declared happily, "Your savior is here." Noelle and Asta stared dumbfounded at the pint-sized girl, unable to think of a response. The girl flicked her gaze to the bird in Noelle's hands and gasped, "Nero!"

The two of them looked at each other as she suddenly rushed over to grab "Nero" from Noelle. They watched as she opened her book and began to focus. The tome glowed alongside the bird, and Asta watched in amazement as the its wounds healed. The bird began to twitch to life, and the strange girl let it go. It flew on top of her head and settled there. She turned her attention to the sheep, who were just wrapping up their battle. Dismissing them, the girl looked towards Noelle and Asta and said, "Are they the ones you were talking about, Nero?"

Before either of the two confused teens could ask, the bird answered without moving its beak. "Yup," It said, for who else's voice could it be, "I was sensing them before I got . . . delayed."

Noelle let out a shocked squeak. "W-Who are you?" she yelped, "How can this bird talk?!" Strangely, Asta wasn't as surprised.

The girl brushed herself off, her outfit transforming back into the school uniform along with the golden pendant around her neck. "Name's Charmy Pappitson," she said cheerfully, "This 'bird' is a creature called 'Nero.'" She smiled and added, "I'm sure he can tell you what he wants."

"Indeed," The bird chirped somehow, "Noelle Silva, Asta Kaname, I want the two of you to make a contract with me and become Magical Knights!" As Noelle and Asta blinked in confusion, Charmy motioned them towards the exit.

"Come to my place," She offered, "We can discuss all your questions over some grub! I have cake and muffins~" Noelle twitched at the sound of sweets, her stomach making the decision for her. Asta nodded, wanting to satisfy his curiosity. Just before they left the construction room, Asta glanced to the side and met amber eyes. But when he blinked, Yuno were gone.


	2. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 2

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

" _I can grant anything you want, even if it's a miracle!"_

" _In exchange, you'll become a Magical Knight!"_

* * *

As Asta walked home, his mind reeled from his conversation with Charmy, who did end up being a senior at his high school. Magical Knights are born from desires for miracle. In exchange for their wish, they fight Demons and their underlings, the dangerous creatures created from hatred. It was their duty to ensure those monsters would never succeed in killing humanity. The source of a Magical Knight's power came from their soul gem, the necklace rock both Charmy and Yuno had. Their soul gems would transform them into Magical Knights and grant them grimoires to fight. Every Magical Knight's form and magic was different as it all depended on the person's contracted desire. The amount of power a Magical Knight could obtain was decided by the amount needed to grant said wish as well as how much fated potential the person held. And apparently Asta had a high amount of that potential, whatever that meant. But it was what attracted Nero to him in the first place. Even though the bird wanted to make the contract that day, Charmy, recognizing that it's a dangerous offer to ask, had told Noelle and him that they could join her on a couple Demon hunts to decide whether or not to take the bird on his deal. " _Think of it as Magical Knight boot camp~_ "

As Asta opened the door to the church, he nearly had a heart attack. There in the room was Yuno, sitting at the dining room table, chatting with Sister Lily and Father Ofai. Rushing into the dining room, Asta pointed a finger at him and said in his normal, loud voice, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Sister Lily slapped Asta's hand lightly, making him retract it. "Asta," She scolded, "I've told you a hundred times all month that we were going to be hosting a transfer student for a rest of the school year." Asta's brain wanted to shut down. That was a couple months. And with, of all the people, _Yuno_. Why did fate hate him?

Remembering that both Sister Lily and Father Ofai were watching, Asta asked them in the politest tone he could manage at the time, "And where will he be staying?" Sister Lily moved to the kitchen, most likely to give Yuno a refreshment as an apology for Asta's behavior. Father Ofai just shook his head and grumbled an actual apology to Yuno when Asta didn't seem to be offering any.

"In the extra room that we were using as storage," Sister Lily answered from the kitchen, "We just finished getting it ready today." Great. The room right across from his. Peachy. She returned with a glass of water and held it out to Yuno, who accepted it with a quiet "Thanks." At least he had manners, not that Asta could judge. Sister Lily clapped her hands together. "How about you show him where he'll be staying, Asta?" she asked softly in her subtle way of saying _make a better first impression, he's living here whether you like it or not._ "He just got here a little bit ago, so we haven't had a chance to show him it yet," she added at the doubtful look Asta sent her way.

"Fine," Asta finally caved, unable to resist any task Sister Lily gave him since he was a child. Motioning at Yuno to follow, he went towards the doorway near the stairwell. He listened as Yuno bid Father Ofai and Sister Lily goodnight. Asta didn't look to see if Yuno was trailing behind him, he could pretty much _sense_ it with how hard the other was staring at him. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs and after a quick glance that assured Asta they were indeed alone, Asta whirled around to face him. "Why did you attack Nero?" he asked bluntly, getting to the point.

Yuno glanced away for a moment in thought before meeting his eyes neutrally. "I was hoping to prevent this very situation," He admitted after a brief pause. He sighed, somewhat frustrated. "I failed," He bit out almost sarcastically, though Asta didn't think his harsh tone was directed at him, "So here we are." Steeling his gaze, Asta felt that Yuno was looking into his very soul. "I'll say this again," Yuno said slowly, almost as if he wanted Asta to absorb every word, "If you don't want to lose everything you hold dear, then don't become a Magical Knight."

As Yuno moved to go past him, down the hall towards his room despite not being told where it was, Asta couldn't help but blurt out, "What was your wish, then? Why did you become a Magical Knight?" Of all the times Asta had seen Yuno, nothing had fazed the other. But what seemed like a just simple question to Asta appeared like it shook Yuno to his very core. He froze for a few seconds, his face masked in an unidentifiable emotion. When Yuno glanced at Asta, whatever spell that was on him broke, and he clicked his tongue before rushing down the hall without answering. "Handsome jerk!" Asta called out after him, saying the first insult that popped into his mind – even if it wasn't a good one. Asta's head stung, something coming undone in his mind.

* * *

" _Sorry about that," Asta said over his shoulder as he led Yuno towards the nurse's office, "Magna doesn't mean any harm, even if it doesn't seem like it." While Magna Swing probably hadn't meant to, when the classmate had gone to slap his hands on Yuno's desk to intimidate the newbie, he had ended up also hitting one of Yuno's wrists in the process as well. Even though that wasn't severe enough for the other to have to go to the nurse's office, Asta took pity on the boy who seemed overwhelmed by all their classmates' attention._

 _As they moved down the various hallways and passed several classrooms, Asta turned around and began walking backwards so he could face Yuno while talking to him. The other still couldn't meet his eye but looked less nervous with just Asta to talk to. "They always pick on newbies," Asta explained, "Happened to me when the school year started." He tried to give Yuno an assuring smile. "So, don't take it too much to heart, okay?" Asta soothed._

 _Yuno stuttered for a moment as he tried to meet Asta's gaze before darting his eyes away. "Thank you very much," he managed to say after a few seconds. Ah, maybe it was the fact Asta was talking in a volume that others considered 'loud' or 'yelling' that was making Yuno so anxious. Whoops._

 _"You don't have to be so nervous," Asta beamed, "We're classmates, after all. Doesn't matter if its temporary." He pointed a thumb at his chest and grinned. "I'm Asta Kaname," he introduced._

 _Yuno looked at him in surprise for a moment before he said, "It's n-nice to meet you, Mister Kaname."_

" _What's with the formality? We're the same age so you can just call me 'Asta' if you want to! I don't mind."_

" _I-I'm…not used to calling people by their first name."_

" _Oh. Do you mind if I call you 'Yuno?'"_

 _Yuno brought a hand to adjust his blazer jacket as he stared at his shoes. He stuttered slightly as he spoke, "I-I don't get called by my first name very much." Clutching his jacket sleeve, he added, "It's such a weird name too…"_

" _What?" Asta said in disbelief, "Your name's awesome!" His arms flailed as his words grew more animated. "Plus, I bet it adds a bit of mystery to your character," Asta joked, "Like you're now the mysterious transfer student. You know, like the ones from the TV shows and books Noelle tells me about."_

" _I-I don't think I fit that description at all."_

" _Please," Asta said cheerfully, "You match the cool transfer student profile to a tee." Holding up one finger, Asta began by saying, "First off, you're supposed in to be Professor Vangeance class which means you're really talented." Putting up another, Asta continued with, "Second, you've got the cool name, and you're the silent type." Counting up a one more, Asta finished by saying, "Third, you're really pretty and handsome to boot! I bet half the class is already gearing to ask you out!"_

 _Asta would have said more but by then his brain had caught up to his mouth and told him to stop and look at Yuno's reaction. Sure enough, Yuno's face could rival a tomato. He was looking at Asta with an expression of slight shock written on his face, obviously not knowing how to reply to his comments. Crap, Sister Lily was right – he should learn to be more tactful and when to keep his mouth shut._

 _And now, Asta could feel his own face starting to heat up. Thankfully, the two of them were in the empty walkway between the student and faculty buildings. No one else was around, hopefully, to hear Asta figuratively shoot himself in the foot. Still, he continued to give Yuno a smile, determined to not let the other see how flustered he was. Which for sure stayed that way, even when he totally-did-_ not _nearly trip over one of the padded benches in the walkway as his brain nearly shut down in embarrassment._

 _It came as a shock to both of them when they were walking the same way back home. Turns outs, Yuno was the transfer student his family was going to be hosting for the semester. Which made his previous impression at school to the boy just greater. Still, Asta wasn't in the Black Bulls for nothing. When faced with a difficult situation, it was best to not give up and keep charging through. Grabbing Yuno's wrist, he excitedly dragged him up the stairs to show him where he would be staying._

* * *

The next day, after doing everything in his power to avoid Yuno (thankfully they were in different classes now), when Noelle and Asta joined Charmy on her "Magical Knight Boot Camp" and helped save a woman's life from a demon, Asta didn't see what Yuno meant by the dangers of becoming a Magical Knight. As Charmy explained about the chaos jewels that came from Demons and how to purify soul charms with them, Asta couldn't help but think Yuno was wrong. After all, being a Magical Knight meant having the power to protect everything you hold dear. His head buzzed as another memory played through his mind.

* * *

 _"Mister Kaname . . . Do you always fight those things…?"_

 _"Always?" Asta pondered as he took a chunk of the cake and ate it. Shaking his head, he pointed towards Charmy who was busy inhaling her own sweet. It didn't matter that she had guests over in her apartment, food was food. "Charmy's the real veteran here," he explained, "I just got my contract with Nero this past week."_

 _Charmy swallowed and chimed in. "But your performance was a big improvement from before," she said, "And thanks to you, I have more time to eat delicious treats~" She demonstrated that fact by eating another piece of cake. Asta grinned at her reaction. It was nice to hear he had been better despite such a short amount of time._

 _"You're really okay with it? It doesn't…scare you?"_

 _"It's not that it doesn't bother me or that I don't get scared," Asta explained, "But the more demons we slay, the more people we save." Giving a thumb's up, he added, "So it's worth the effort!" His companions smiled back at him at his declaration._


	3. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 3

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

Asta rushed to the hospital two weeks later as soon as he got the phone call, the Yuno situation completely wiped from his mind for the moment. Noelle stood in the waiting room whilst staring dazed at the ground. She looked up with eyes that were stained red from tears. Upon seeing Asta, she burst into sobs once more and buried her head in her hands. Asta was at her side in a second. He gathered her into his arms while whispering comforting words, even though he himself didn't know if it would be all right.

Charmy came a couple hours later after school with a bag of muffins in one hand and her house keys in the other. She walked up to the duo and ushered them out the hospital doors, despite Noelle's protests. She led them back to her apartment and settled the other girl into her guest bedroom while Nero watched silently from his perch on Charmy's head. Then she took Asta to the living room and made the two of them some tea. Clearing her cookbooks off the table as quietly as she could, she offered Asta a seat on the golden cushion by the low, glass table. He took it, and she handed him a teacup.

"You know," Charmy said with a distant look in her eyes after spending some time in dead silence, "This is what caused me to be Magical Knight." She took a sip of her tea and looked down at it as if it held all the answers she sought. She fiddled with her soul charm (something Noelle had started to say, and that was now stuck between the three of them). "I didn't get a choice," she continued after a bit while Asta didn't dare interrupt for once.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "It all happened so fast," she whispered, "One minute, my mother and father and I were talking in the car. The next minute…" Her voice broke, and she took a shaky sip of tea to calm her nerves. "I didn't get a choice," she repeated. Nero fluttered from Charmy's head to her lap as she stroked his feathers absentmindedly. "If Nero here hadn't found me when he did," she said slowly, "I'd be dead."

Asta felt a twinge of guilt. Based on what he knew of Charmy, he had assumed her wish would have been something like being the world's eating champion or a cooking elite. Charmy stroked Nero's feathers once more. "I didn't want to die," she said, "There was so many things I hadn't done yet. So many foods I hadn't tried." Then with a shrug that didn't match her heartbroken expression, she tried to laugh even though it was forced, "So I made the contract with the first thing I could think of." She looked at Asta and smiled a brave, wobbly smile. "And that's how I became a Magical Knight," she muttered, "Only difference now is that Noelle wasn't the one in the car. She still has a choice."

Asta opened his mouth, but Charmy stopped him. "This may sound selfish," She said, "But I don't want Noelle to make a contract at this moment." He wanted to protest, wanted to say it should be Noelle's choice. However, he kept his mouth closed as Charmy stirred her tea. "I know it sounds bad," she sighed as she dropped her smile, "But rash wishes lead to regret. That's why I wanted you two to have some time to think about whether you really have a wish or not." Looking away, with her eyes seeing a scene Asta could not, Charmy finished by saying, "A wish that's made for other people's sake and not your own don't usually have a happy ending. I _know_. Even if that wish is made for family." And Asta wondered how she knew.

He stayed a bit longer until Noelle fell into an exhausted slumber. Then taking Nero for the night since Charmy didn't want Noelle to get an impulsive contract, Asta bid her goodnight and headed home with the bird perched on his head. When he got home, Yuno is nowhere to be seen, and he thought it was better that way. He didn't want to know his reaction if he saw Nero. For once in his life, Asta didn't have the energy to deal with anything else. It wouldn't be the last.

* * *

Asta had seen the light in Yuno's room burn long into the night often enough. It was kind of weird how the two of them were living together under the same roof but never saw each other. He tried to tell himself that he didn't care, and that it would be even better if he never saw that handsome jerk again. But something in him disagreed and was festering just beneath the surface of what he knew. Like those daydreams he had that never made sense with the reality before him.

Grumbling, Asta got off his bed and began to do some sit-ups, his usual stress relief. It wasn't until he hit five-hundred that he heard signs of Yuno being in the house. It was way past the time most people would be awake. The other seemed to stop outside of Asta's door. He didn't move from his paused position for a while which caught Asta's attention even more. Though a part of him was dying to see what Yuno was doing, another hesitated as he remembered all their previous encounters so far. In the end, he just laid on the floor and waited to see if Yuno made a move. He didn't. After a while, Yuno had walked away and closed the door to presumably his own room. Throughout the following months, this event would happen more frequently.

* * *

This would be the day when Asta finally taught that punk a lesson! Grumbling under his breath, Asta nearly tore the house apart looking for his headband. He felt too exposed without it, and that weasel of a brother named Nash had taken and hidden it somewhere around the house. The only place he hadn't checked yet was Yuno's room.

Sucking in a breath, trying to gather his courage, Asta knocked on the door. No answer. Looking back and forth, Asta didn't see anyone near him. He tested the handle but found it locked. Of course, it would be. Turning around, Asta ran face first into someone's chest. Rubbing his forehead slightly as he took a couple small steps back, he glanced to see who he had bumped into. Amber eyes met his own and looked down at him with an unidentifiable expression. Great. Just his luck. Of all people, he had to run into Yuno. The other didn't say anything to him but, instead, held out his hand. In his palm was Asta's headband. He took it cautiously and put it back on his head.

Before he could say "thank you," Yuno beat him to the punch by telling him, "Try not to leave it around again." Then he brushed past Asta and went into his room while re-locking his door behind him. Static that was becoming familiar filled Asta's mind as he stared at the closed door.

* * *

" _Nash!" Asta hollered, "You're so going to get it, you punk!" He was searching_ everywhere _for his missing headband that the brat had stolen. Checking under his bed once more, Asta rushed out of his room only to smash into someone. They crashed to the floor with Asta landing on top._

" _Ow," Asta groaned. He pushed_ _himself up on his elbows and looked down at who he had unwittingly tackled. Yuno stared up at him with his face a little red. He was missing his glasses, though they possibly had been knocked off during the initial impact. Even though Asta knew he should be getting off and apologizing, he couldn't help but stare at Yuno's eyes that were left unguarded from his lack of glasses. They were the prettiest shade of amber he had seen. When Yuno turned redder beneath him, Asta realized he had said that part out-loud. Dammit. Why couldn't he have been born with a filter for his mouth?_

" _U-um," Yuno tried to say something, but the words got caught on his tongue. Either way, it had worked as it snapped Asta out of his trance. He scrambled off of Yuno and looked around. He found the other's glasses nearby. He got onto his feet while Yuno sat up. Walking over, Asta bent down and grabbed the spectacles while examining them. Thankfully, they didn't seem broke or bent._

 _Asta returned to Yuno. The other sat squinting at him while, no doubt, trying to make out his shape. He handed him his glasses back. "They seem fine," Asta told him as he tried to keep his fluster from his tone. He watched as Yuno put his glasses back on. The other blinked until his eyes had properly adjusted. Asta held out a hand to help him up, and Yuno accepted it. Rubbing the back of his neck, Asta muttered, "Sorry about that." Feeling like he should explain more, he added, "Nash stole my headband, and I've been trying to find it all day."_

 _He expected Yuno to leave after his explanation with his curiosity satisfied. Instead, Yuno shyly told him, "I-I'll help you look." Asta blinked in surprise before a grin broke across his face. Momentary embarrassment forgotten, Asta clasped a hand on Yuno's shoulder since he was too short to sling an arm around it._

" _Really?!" he exclaimed, "Thanks!" Yuno just smiled softly with his cheeks dusted slightly pink. They spent the rest of the day talking. Well, it was more of Asta rambling and Yuno quietly listening with an occasional laugh, as they continued the search. By the end of a couple hours, Asta almost didn't mind that his headband was still missing as long as he could keep hanging out with Yuno. Almost._

 _He still felt too vulnerable without it. So, at the end of their search, when they found it wedged between boxes of cooking ingredients in one of the kitchen cupboards, Asta had put it on right away without checking its condition. To the mirth of Yuno, the other watched as Asta's head got covered in flour. Asta decided to tell himself that he did that just to hear Yuno's laugh again, the sound making his chest feel warmer._

* * *

Another two weeks had rolled by since the initial day Asta gotten Noelle's phone call. After school, Asta went with Noelle to the hospital to visit her family. Said girl didn't say much the whole way there and during their visit in the hospital. Asta tried to fill the emptiness with his rambling in an attempt to take her mind away from the pain she must be feeling. Asta may not have known his blood-family, but if the roles were reversed and he was waiting in the hospital to see if Father Ofai, Sister Lily, and the little ones would make it, he imagined it would be just as painful as what Noelle was going through. As he looked at the girl he's considered a sister for many years break down, Asta couldn't help but wonder if making a contract with Nero wouldn't be the right thing to do. Anything to dry the tears she shed.

When they exited the building, they saw a black orb stuck to one of the pillars. Nero flapped its wings and caught their attention. "It's a chaos jewel," it stated, "And by the looks of it, it's about to hatch and create a labyrinth."

He heard a whispered "Oh, no" from Noelle. They both knew what that means for everyone in the hospital. Putting on a brave face, Noelle pushed Asta in the direction of Charmy's house. "Go," she said as strongly as she could, "Find Charmy. You're the faster one." Before Asta could ask what she was going to do, she answered his silent question with, "I'll stay here with Nero and watch over the seal before it breaks." Asta can't help the proud look that crossed his face as he nodded in agreement with her plan. He hugged her and promised to return soon.

* * *

It took him longer than he would have liked to find Charmy and get back to the hospital. "Are you guys all right?" Charmy asked through her connection with Nero as soon as they arrived on the scene. She found the Demon Portal, with the seal probably only minutes from breaking, and stepped inside of it with Asta. The labyrinth was crawling with underlings shaped like bugs and strong winds that threaten to blow the two of them apart.

"We're fine," The bird replied to the two's relief, "You better quicken your pace though. It'll hatch any time now. Don't use too much magic. You might provoke it." Charmy gave Nero a sign that she had heard, and the two of them continued to make their way through the demon labyrinth. Only to find out quickly that they were not alone.

Yuno stood ahead of them. He glanced at Asta briefly before focusing on Charmy. "I'll take this Demon," He said with an air of confidence, "You two turn back. I'll make sure the other two are safe." Charmy narrowed her eyes. Before Yuno could move, Charmy whipped out her book and trapped Yuno in a ball of cotton. He made a noise of surprise.

"Why should I believe someone who has tried to _kill_ Nero on multiple occasions?" she asked Yuno coldly, bringing up some bad blood Asta didn't know they had, "And don't even _think_ of denying it. I asked Nero. What about that says you're trustworthy?" Yuno struggled against his fiber bonds as worry began to break through his stoic gaze slightly. "You won't get out," Charmy assured, "When I get back from dealing with this demon, you and I are going to have a _long_ talk. I want to know the reason you keep trying to hurt my friend." Having said her piece, she walked away and beckoned Asta to follow. He heard Yuno's struggling increase behind him as he turned away.

"Wait!" Yuno called, "You don't understand! This Demon isn't like the others you've fought!" It was the first time Asta heard Yuno's voice get close to anything sounding like desperation. That fact alone made Asta wonder whether they should at least consider his advice. Charmy merely snorted when Asta told her that suggestion.

"I have this under control," she responded, "I've been a Magical Knight long before you even heard of the phrase." Considering he's only heard that phrase for about a month – though his mind feels that's not quite right, that he's known it much, much longer - it wasn't a hard record to break.

* * *

Asta stared blankly while his mind numbed at the scene before him. Noelle had her hands covering her mouth as she tried to smother a scream. One moment, Charmy had busted down the door to the demon's lair. The older girl told Asta to go hide with Noelle. However, she couldn't get a lock on the Demon right away, even when she summoned her sheep. The reading was moving too fast to get an accurate picture. The next moment, a strong gust of wind cut through her and blew her sheep away. Like a saw trick in one of those corny magical shows, it separated Charmy's head from her body.

And they still didn't know where it was or what it looked. They could only press behind one of the giant toadstools scattered about the lair and pray whatever it was didn't find them. Asta felt a short breeze brush his face before he tackled Noelle to the ground. The toadstool that they had been hiding behind got chopped in half. During the split second after the attack, Asta got a glimpse of the Sprite Demon.

It was small and green along with the fact that it appeared to look like that of a child with wings. It could have been a fairy straight out of the books Asta read to the little ones at home from time to time. Only this one was far from friendly. He tried not to look in the direction of Charmy's body.

He didn't know how he could defend against it, something so small and so fast. He hovered over Noelle in the intent to be a shield for her, if nothing else. Somewhere nearby, Nero begged them to make a contract.

 _Bang!_ The lair's doors flew off the handles, and both Asta and the Demon looked towards the source. Asta wondered if he had imagined seeing the slightest bits of fear melt off Yuno's face when they made eye contact. The other's amber eyes hardened as he switched targets. He wondered if Noelle saw the changes in his stoic expression too.

"Making a contract won't be necessary," Yuno declared in his usual apathetic tone as his tome began to glow, "I will defeat the Demon." His declaration seemed to piss off the sprite. Several wind saws launched towards his direction. Yuno didn't flinch as he dodged them, and his grimoire opened. The pages sang of magic, and Yuno calmly dipped his hand into them to pull out, in a motion similar to a magician grabbing a rabbit from a hat, a flashing object that was covered in wires. Asta's eyes widened. Was that a…

Confirming Asta's belief, Yuno pressed a couple buttons on the device. The flashing became more frequent until Yuno tossed it into the air, and it exploded with a near deafening _Boom!_ "What's that crazy bastard think he's doing?!" Asta yelped as he held Noelle to protect her from any falling debris as the room shook. Asta glanced back towards Yuno and felt his heart thump painfully in fear. Near Yuno, a piece of rubble had hit the demon and temporarily stunned it.

Yuno pulled out a hand gun from his book. He flickered for a moment. Asta had never heard the shots being fired, but he saw some bullets rocket in the air for a quick moment. The Demon dodged most of them, though it did get nicked with a couple. In response, it sent more attacks at Yuno that he evaded. From his spot on the ground, Asta could feel the force of the wind whipping about the area.

Grabbing another bomb, he repeated the previous process as Asta continued to shield Noelle. This time, Yuno's bullets hit their mark. The creature exploded into a shadowy mist. The fog gathered and transformed into a matured Chaos Jewel. The jewel floated into Yuno's waiting palm.

As things settled down, Asta slowly approached Yuno with Noelle on unsteady legs. He still couldn't bring himself to look at Charmy's motionless form. Without turning towards them, Yuno said, "Burn this memory into your heads. This is what it truly means to become a Magical Knight." _Death_. That's what Yuno was implying.

Noelle began trying to choke down a sob as the labyrinth's world twisted and disappeared from sight, taking the scene of tragedy with it. Yuno glanced at them once over his shoulder before he tightened his hands into fists. He squared his frame and began to walk off, but Noelle stopped him. "Give it back," she hissed out. Yuno didn't answer her nor did he turn around. "Give back that Chaos Jewel," she cried again, "That belongs to Charmy!"

"And what? I should just hand it over?" Yuno asked in his usual monotone voice, but in the situation, it seemed almost mockingly. There was a pause before Yuno looked over his shoulder again and met their reddened eyes. "Such things belong to Magical Knights alone," He stated, "Take this event as a lesson." He then resumed walking away, apparently having said his piece.

"Heartless bastard!" Noelle choked out in a yell as she fell onto her knees. Asta, who could only watch the situation unfold, was too numb to do much other than help Noelle back up onto her feet mechanically. His hands tightened into fists as he thought back to Charmy, and a growing feeling of helplessness rooted itself in his chest. His mind couldn't help but think that if he had made a wish, the girl would still be around. But he couldn't say that right now. Not when his top priority at the moment was making sure Noelle got home safe. Charmy's words drifted back into his mind: _But rash wishes lead to regret. That's why I wanted you two to have time to think about whether you really had a wish or not._

* * *

On his way home, after dropping off Nero and Noelle, Asta bought a small cake and stopped by Charmy's apartment for the last time. The once warm home felt as cold as winter ice without her presence. And it would never know her warmth again. He opened the door that was still unlocked from the rush to the hospital. He set the cake on the living room table as some sort of grave offering. A brief memory of Charmy, Noelle, and him all sitting down to have a treat and tea after a Demon hunt flitted through his mind. Taking one last look around the room that was scattered with cookbooks and cooking utensils from no doubt a creation she had been planning to make, Asta walked to the door. "I'm sorry, Charmy," Asta confessed as he locked the door and exited, "I wasn't strong enough to save you."

As the door clicked shut, Asta wiped any stray tears he had on his arm and looked down the hall to see Yuno approaching him in his non-Knight attire. He didn't feel surprised anymore. The other always seemed to have a habit of showing up wherever he went. It didn't help that they technically lived together. Asta shoved his hands in to the pockets of his school blazer. He waited for Yuno's pattern of saying what was on his mind before vanishing.

Yuno stopped just a couple paces in front of him with his amber eyes clouded in an unknown emotion. He parted his lips slightly before closing them, obviously thinking over his words. He finally leaned back, though his muscles were still wound tight with tension while his hands curled into fists at his side. "It was unfortunate that Charmy had perished in this battle," was what apparently Yuno had settled on saying. Whatever emotion Yuno was trying to convey fell flat as his voice didn't match his words.

"Yeah," Asta agreed half-heartedly, "It was 'unfortunate.'" Yuno didn't miss his jab at the other's phrasing. The boy's lips pursed slightly as he appeared to try to think of something else to say. Asta didn't give him a chance, however. "Save your breath," he muttered, his usual energy lacking, "I already know what you are going to say. 'Don't become a Magical Knight.'" Yuno's eyes widened ever so slightly, either at his words or his tone. Maybe in shock or in pain too, Asta didn't know the true answer. There were lots of things he didn't know about Yuno that a part of him seemed to think he should.

Asta gave a humorless laugh at the sorrowful situation, at Yuno's reaction, or perhaps at his own pitiful emotions. "It's not that hard to figure out," he continued, "Even for someone like me. That's all you ever seem to say to me." Asta moved his hand in a mock wave as he spun around and began walking towards the other exit. This time, he'd be the one to leave after saying his piece. Yuno didn't follow him, and Asta tried to ignore the feeling of Yuno watching him leave. A static sound revealed a memory in his mind.

* * *

 _Asta may be dense from time to time, but even he can tell when someone's feeling down. For the past couple of days, he could tell Yuno was becoming more withdrawn and wondered if something was bothering him. He had vowed to himself to talk to the other when he got home, but then Charmy Pappitson had called him saying that a new Demon had emerged. Clutching his Mountbatten pink soul gem that had a silver five-leaf clover design inside, he rushed over to Charmy, who was already in her Magical Knight attire with Nero perched on her head._

 _"Get ready to go kick some ass~"_

 _Asta nodded and, in a Mountbatten pink flash, changed into his own Magical Knight uniform._ _He wore a buttoned Mountbatten pink waistcoat vest over a white-tunic with a pale silver middle that was outlined in white stripes and red buttons running down the middle. He wore white shorts with red trimming that ended just above his knees accompanied by a red belt that was connected to the red pouch holding his grimoire. His boots were a Mountbatten pink with the vamp and toe being colored white. Finishing off his attire, he wore a short Mountbatten pink hooded-robe that had intricate five-leaf clover designs in white-colored lines with red trimming that covered the upper half of his torso. The robe was tied together using a red ribbon around a silver button that had the a five-leaf clover emblem on it. His signature headband was dyed Mountbatten pink with his soul gem stitched to the side of it like an insignia. His grimoire was a silver color and appeared similar in design to his robe with a five-leaf clover in the middle._

 _When the two of them found the demon, Asta was surprised to see Yuno. He had fallen to the floor in shock as he was about to be attacked by underlings. Drawing his bow from his tome, he concentrated and shot out piercing sword arrows that hit the creatures in their chests, making them vanish instantly. Charmy, to his left, had summoned her sheep and was hitting the Demon with cotton bombs which she used to help constrain the new underlings being summoned._

 _"That was a close one!" Asta exclaimed as he rushed in front of Yuno to defend him with Charmy by his side. Nero stayed behind, observing. Looking back to make sure the other boy was all right, he smiled and said, "You're safe now, Yuno!" Yuno seemed more shock to see him than the Demon. Ah, well, he guessed his uniform was pretty odd._

 _"Y-You're…!"_

 _"They're Magical Knights," Nero said, nearly frightening the other out of his skin as he whipped his head back to find the new speaker. "They hunt Demons," the bird added._

 _"Guess you've discovered our little secret," Asta told Yuno, "Just don't go telling anyone in class, okay?" Then both of the Magical Knights released their attacks at the Demon and killed it in a brilliant explosion. Charmy clapped her hands together happily as the labyrinth disappeared._

 _"Time for victory cake!" she announced._

* * *

A few days later, just before they had to go to school again, Asta was reunited with Noelle as she stabbed a Demon whose labyrinth he had accidently stumbled into. She wore both a sleeveless and backless, short royal blue dress. The dress was covered by a silver blazer with sleeves that were attached at the back with golden cuffs. In addition, the blazer had frilly edges that were secured by a golden choker and danced down to her thighs and up to her neck. A long, white tailcoat, resembling a cape in its own way, went to her knees and blended into her blazer's collar. Fitted on the center of the brown belt holding her grimoire was a blue Soul Charm baring an emblem of a large cross in the middle of a three-leaf clover. Her grimoire lay strapped to her right hip and colored a warm amber with intricate, silvery markings of a three-leaf clover. The final parts of her outfit were silver leg warmers with golden cuffs at both ends and blue boots that just went past her ankles. She smiled bravely at him and struck a knightly pose. Asta blinked and grinned back in relief, though not at being saved from the Demon but at seeing Noelle all right.

"If I had just made this wish in the first place," She said as the two of them rest on a grassy bank overlooking the bay in Clover City, "Charmy. . . Charmy might still be with us." It added a somber tone to the air around them. She twirled her soul charm in her hands as the chain jingled lightly with the movements.

"Did it hurt when you made the contract?" Asta couldn't help but ask her. He brought a hand to the middle of his own chest. Phantom sensations of a light, electric sensation pulsed under his palm. Fingers curled around his shirt, searching for something that wasn't there. He didn't know why he felt that way.

"No," Noelle said. She snorted and continued, "It just made me wonder why I didn't do this sooner." Asta didn't have to guess what her wish was. He imagined three people, similar in appearance to her, waking up in a hospital bed miraculously healed. Noelle stood up and twirled around. "I've decided," She said with determination singing through her voice as she faced the bay, "I won't hesitate anymore!" Turning to Asta, she resolved, "I'm going to protect Clover City in Charmy's place!"

Asta smiled as he tried to convey his support even when worry began to eat away inside of him. It was too easy to imagine that it was Noelle's body instead of Charmy's lost in a Demon's labyrinth, soul having left the body permanently. He didn't voice that out-loud though, not wanting to damper the good mood settling between them.

Noelle smiled back. "Feel free to ask me to defend you, peasant," She said jokingly, "I, the brave Knight, will protect you as a hero of justice." The air felt lighter between them, but Asta couldn't help but feel like it was the calm before the storm.

"Oh, protect me brave Knight!" Asta shouted instead as he joined her in her fun while he tried to will that feeling away. He got on his knees in a mock beg. Noelle covered her mouth with her hands as she held back a snort of laughter. It was nice to hear laughter again.

"Come on, Dorksta," she beamed, "Let's go home." She helped him up, and together they began to walk back towards their respective homes in the red twilight. If he pretended, Asta could almost believe that nothing had happened, and it was their old routine before all of the Magical Knight and Yuno business. Except he knew it would never be the same again. In the last glow of the light, without Noelle's knowledge, Asta's smile grew grimmer.


	4. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 4

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

Stirring his coffee slowly, Yuno regarded him carefully as he sat across from Asta in the café booth. Asta leaned back slightly while he put his arms casually behind his head in an attempt to hide his discomfort at being watched so closely. It wasn't like it was hard to get Yuno to agree to meet with him after school, preferably at the mall where no one they knew personally would be likely to overhear their conversation. Turns out that all Asta had to do to achieve such a feat was to grab the other's arm before he left for school and ask him. He was more surprised at Yuno's immediate agreement, and, now that they were here, the confidence Asta had built up was wavering to unease internally.

"What did you want to talk about?" Yuno asked neutrally as he got to the point. Despite the lack of evidence, Asta's gut told him that the other already had a clue what this conversation would be about. Still, he reminded himself of the reason why he was here. It was worth sitting through an uncomfortable conversation.

"It's about Noelle," Asta replied as evenly as he could. He tried his best to keep his voice at a decent volume level to avoid attracting the attention of the other customers in the café. Asta watched as Yuno twitched ever so slightly at her name. Taking that as a sign he was listening, he forged on, "She can be as stubborn as a mule when she wants to be, but she's got a good heart." He strummed his fingers against his neck. "She's a kind person, despite what her temper may say," He added as he rambled slightly while focusing on keeping his tone level. "She'll go to nearly any length to help someone in need," Asta continued.

"That's fatal for a Magical Knight," Yuno interrupted calmly. The sudden declaration froze Asta in place for a moment, and the other took it as a sign to begin to explain his view of the situation. "Excessive kindness leads to weakness," Yuno stated as he closed his eyes, "Reckless courage becomes inattention to detail." He reached for his coffee. "There is no reward for dedication of any kind," he said coolly. Asta's hands lowered down to his lap. For a split second, it seemed like Yuno's speech was about someone else. "You can't be a Magical Knight unless you understand that," He finished as he took a sip of his drink, "That's why Charmy Pappitson lost her life."

The remark hit a topic still far too raw, and Asta found himself slamming his hands on the table as he stood up slightly. The table shook from impact, and Yuno had to hold his drink to keep it from spilling. "Stop talking like that!" Asta shouted heatedly before realizing he had lost control over the volume of his voice. A glance at the other patrons told him that he had caught some unwanted attention. Asta slowly sat back in his seat and waited for the attention to die down a little. The other continued to sip his coffee nonchalantly during the brief pause in their conversation. In all honesty, Yuno's total lack of care was beginning to get on his nerves, especially the way he casually insulted Charmy's demise when the girl had died a hero's death by trying to defeat a demon that was terrorizing a hospital.

Asta pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look," Asta hissed out through clenched teeth as he willed himself to remember why he was here. He took a deep breath. "That's why I'm afraid for Noelle, even though she says she'll be fine," Asta sighed, "I don't want what happened to Charmy to happen to her."

"You're worried about Noelle Silva, aren't you?" Yuno stated rhetorically. Asta knew that, at times, he himself could be dense, but he thought anyone could read between the lines of their conversation and see he was worried without needing to fully voice it. Still, he nodded to Yuno's question since he didn't want to admit out-loud that there was nothing he could do for Noelle. Asta would never give up trying to help her. That's why he was here. There were still things he could do for her.

"I want to ask you," Asta said before pausing as he tried to figure out the phrasing of his question. "To be friends with her," He settled with and added, "Or at the very least, to not fight with her like you did with Charmy." Even though he hadn't personally seen Charmy and Yuno interact with one another much, it didn't take a genius to figure out there was some bad blood between the two of them. Especially with the way Yuno continued to disregard her death. "You're all Magical Knights, right?" Asta persisted, "Shouldn't you fight the Demons together?"

His last comment caused Yuno to freeze as the other halted while taking a sip of his drink. For a moment, Yuno turned to look out the window to the right of them. Then, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he turned back to Asta. "I don't want to lie," Yuno admitted, "And I don't want to make any promises I can't keep." Opening his eyes, frozen amber met warm green. "She shouldn't have made a contract," He continued, "That's my fault, to be honest. I should have watched her actions properly, not just yours." Before Asta could get a word out, Yuno pressed on, "But now that I've taken responsibility for that mistake, I must tell you that there's nothing I can do about it." Wrapping his hands around his coffee, he concluded, "It's like trying to bring someone back from the grave."

Focusing on Asta even more than he already was, Yuno made sure the other was listening to every word he spoke. "She's already a Magical Knight," Yuno stated in his tone that had not changed a pitch their entire conversation, "There is no hope for salvation." Asta's fingers slowly began to curl to fists in his lap. "That contract forces you to give up on everything in exchange for a single desire," Yuno declared, "For that reason, you should give up on saving Noelle Silva."

Up to this point, Asta had tried his best to stay calm and listen. The last remark struck a deeper nerve though. He himself couldn't give up, but Yuno's words made it sound like the other had. The thought of Yuno giving up made Asta's chest clench. "So, have you given up too?" Asta questioned in a distant voice, "On everything?"

The other's hand set down his drink, and he straightened up to respond. "I won't make excuses and say I'll try to atone," Yuno replied vaguely as the question itself, "I must continue my fight, no matter what sin I must bear to do so." Still, it was enough of an answer for Asta.

"I see," Asta said as he exited the booth. "Sorry for wasting your time," He told Yuno as he passed him, "I'm not done yet. I'm not giving up." He left the cafe without checking the other's reaction. He'd save Noelle on his own then. He'd find a way to give Magical Knights salvation, even if it ended up costing him his own life. A memory resounded in his mind.

* * *

 _Yuno clung to the clothesline in the Demon Labyrinth as he tried to avoid getting hit by the falling chairs. Charmy and Asta made their way towards him while dodging the crisscrossing lines and debris. The Cloth Demon sent out bladed legs familiars after them._

 _Making sure to stay balanced, Asta summoned his bow from his grimoire and shot a volley of sword arrows at them. Clearing the way for Charmy, he kept a eye out for openings. "Charmy!" He called said girl as he spotted a break in underlings, "Now!"_

 _"Okay!" Charmy answered as she used her grimoire to summon a cotton sheep bridge under Yuno using the clothesline among them as supports. "Yuno!" she called to the other and gave him the signal to play his part._

 _"Right!" Yuno responded as the world flickered for a moment. Then the Demon exploded in a brilliant fire, while the other was propelled through the air from the blast. Charmy used her cotton sheep powers to catch him and slow his fall. "I did it," He whispered amazed as the labyrinth disappeared._

 _Asta couldn't hold it in. Pride bloomed in his chest at seeing the improvement in Yuno. "You did it!" He exclaimed, repeating Yuno, as he tackled the other into a hug. Charmy merely laughed at her pupil's behavior and watched them from a distance._

 _"Well done," Charmy agreed in congratulations._

" _You were amazing, Yuno!" Asta praised as he squeezed the boy tighter, "Just what I expected of my 'rival!'" Yuno still seem surprised at their complements, or maybe he was surprised at his own efforts. However, he shyly returned Asta's hug and gave a smile of his own._

* * *

It was up to Asta with Yuno's refusal, so he went to Noelle's house directly. Just before the time she had decided to patrol, he walked to her home and waited outside her door. Some wordless shouts made its way to his ears, and he watched the front door worriedly. Slowly it crept open, and Noelle darted out with Nero on her head.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Asta. Forcing a grin on his face, he lifted his hand in greeting. Seeing the silent question on her face, Asta said grinning, "Come on! Everyone knows that a knight needs a squire!" Noelle gave him a tired smile back in relief.

"Get real, Dorksta," She responded, "You wouldn't rank high enough for a squire. I bet you'd be a page." Asta laughed off her fake insult as he fell into step with her. He glanced back towards the house, but Noelle said, "It's nothing to worry about." With a slight sigh, she added, "It's the same old story as before, even with the accident. They haven't changed a bit."

Nero flapped its wings and interrupted them, which effectively prevented them from dwelling too hard on it. "To test the waters," It told them, "I think Noelle should fight some underlings to observe her powers." Whipping its head to the left, it continued, "I sense a few over in that direction."

* * *

Noelle dismissed her summoned water sword back into her grimoire. Panting slightly, she caught herself and straightened up. Brushing off her knees, she smiled proudly towards Asta and the creature perched on his head. "Piece of cake," She grinned. The words brought a bittersweet smile to Asta's face as he thought of Charmy. The older girl would have been so proud seeing Noelle like this.

"That's not what it looked like to me," A new voice sang. The two of them looked around in apprehension before Asta grabbed Noelle's arm. He barely got her out of the attack's range as the pavement cracked upon impact. A music note appeared where Noelle had been standing, stabbed into the ground, before it disappeared like mist. "Nice reflexes," The voice praised.

They heard a _thump_ in front of them. They looked to see the newcomer who had most likely just jumped down from a streetlamp. She was a tall girl with a slender build. Her long, reddish-brown hair was tied back into a flowing ponytail by a black bow. Eyes matching her hair's hue held a fire-like warmth to them. She wore a crimson dress that went in an upside down "V" form. The dress itself had a mandarin collar and an opening near the chest to display the girl's own Soul Charm. The gem's emblem was that of a dolphin inside a three-leaf clover. The borders of the dress were thick, white ruffles that covered the opening of her dress to the back of it. Additionally, she sported white sleeves that went halfway up her bicep that had black buttoned cuffs around her wrists. Underneath her dress, visible from the opening, she wore a pleated, pink shirt and a black corset with white detailing. Concluding her outfit were black, thigh-high tights along with her tall, red boots that had white cuffs and detailing resembling waves down the side. In her hand, she held a single red apple.

"However," The girl stated as she pursed her lips slightly, "A newbie like you shouldn't be focusing on underlings." She rocked back on her heels. "Just focus on Demons," She declared plainly, "And then focus on the underlings when they've turned into Demons themselves." She hummed slightly as she finished, "After all that's a Magical Knight's job. No point in doing it if there's no reward in the end."

"A Magical Knight's job is to protect the people!" Noelle snapped before Asta could reply as she blinked in shock at the comment.

"I was like you once," The girl sighed, though her smile never left her face, "But fine. If that's how you want to view it, how about this?" Gesturing like it was common sense, the girl continued, "Demons are more dangerous than underlings. So, they should get top priority, right?"

"But if all people do is focus on Demons," Asta demanded, "Who makes sure the underlings don't hurt people."

"Sometimes," The strange girl answered, "Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good."

"Why should we listen to you?" Noelle said appalled by the other's answer, "Who even _are_ you?"

"Oh, right. How silly of me!" The girl giggled while clapping her hands together, "My name's Kahono Sakura." She summoned her grimoire that matched her soul gem in appearance. "And sorry about this," She said in a burst of cheer that had to be fake, "Nothing personal." Before the two of them could react, the girl shouted, "Sound Barrier," and sprung up a wall of notes between Asta and Noelle. Asta pounded his fist against it, but it gave no signs of budging. He was really starting to hate not having magic.

Noelle tried to summon her water sword, but Kahono beat her to the punch with a couple magical 'sonic booms' from her own grimoire. Noelle slammed into a wall with a gasp as the breath left her. She twitched and reached for her grimoire. "Stay down," Kahono commanded, "That hit should have landed you a nice visit to hospital for at least three months." To both Kahono's and Asta's astonishment though, Noelle stood up and glared at the other girl.

"Because Noelle's wish was one of healing," Nero chirped up, catching Asta's attention, "She has the ability to heal fast." Asta shifted, slightly uneasily. What did he not like the sound of that?

"I'm not done yet!" Noelle said as she summoned her sword. Through clenched teeth, she raised her sword towards Kahono and hissed out, "I'm sick of Magical Knights like you, not caring about the people we're supposed to protect!" That seemed to strike a nerve with Kahono as she narrowed her eyes.

"Fine!" Kahono responded, "Come and show me what a 'real' Magical Knight is supposed to be like then, newbie!" The two darted at each other. Noelle thrusting her sword in piercing stabs while Kahono snapped sonic booms at her. Noelle was quickly sent into defense mode and was forced to focus on blocking the blasts or cutting through them. "Come on, rookie," She taunted, "Where's that fighting spirit you had a moment ago?"

Noelle narrowed her eyes as water began to swirl around her. "I won't lose!" She declared, "Not to you!" Finally, able to push Kahono back a little, Noelle used her sword to send water at her like throwing knives. The other girl continued to counterattack with her music notes as the explosions sending shock-waves through the ground.

Asta pounded his fist against the barrier as he watched Noelle take another hit. "They're both Magical Knights," He muttered to himself, "Why are they fighting each other?" Another shock-wave rippled through the ground. "Dammit!" Asta cursed as he was helpless to do anything except watch. At this rate…An image of Charmy's limp form flashed through his mind, only to get replaced by Noelle's. He glanced up towards Nero. "Nero," He almost begged, "Is there anything you can do?"

The bird shook its head. "There's nothing I can do," It answered calmly, "Neither side is willing to back down." The creature fluttered down from his head to ground. It looked up at him and made eye contact. "However, if you don't mind force, there is a way," Nero told him, "Only another Magical Knight can come between them now." Asta looked past Nero to see the two battling Knights fighting as if it was a death match. Perhaps it was. "And you're more than qualified to become one," It added while catching Asta's attention once more, "If you really want to, that is." He jumped slightly. That was right, he could become a Magical Knight and stop this.

In the distance, Noelle fell down. Kahono smiled victoriously as her grimoire began glow ominously. That cemented Asta's determination. Nodding, he said, "I wish –"

"There's no need for that," A familiar voice interrupted. Asta looked back towards the fight to see Yuno suddenly interrupt the fight. Kahono blinked in surprise as she was shoved back and away from Noelle. Before anyone could react further, the other boy quickly struck a nerve on Noelle's neck. Said girl collapsed out cold. "Does that satisfy you?" Yuno asked Kahono, "The match is over."

The girl regarded Yuno for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I guess." She held her hands up in a truce gesture before spinning on her heel. "I know when to back down," She called out over her shoulder. Looking back at Asta as the barrier dispelled, Kahono said, "Keep an eye on the rookie. She's likely to get herself killed fighting like that." Then she turned a corner and vanished among the many twists and turns of Clover City.

"What the hell, Yuno," Asta complained as he ran up to Noelle. He gave an internal sigh of relief as he saw she was still breathing. Kneeling beside her, he gathered her up and hoisted her up, piggyback style. "If you wanted to stop the fight," He added, "I'm sure there was another way. You didn't have to knock her out!"

The other boy didn't respond right away to Asta's remarks. Instead he waited until Asta looked fully at him. "Didn't I tell you to give up on Noelle?" Yuno hissed with his voice sounding closer to anger for the first time. "That's there's no going back once you become a Magical Knight?" He continued without waiting for Asta to respond. Sounding almost at the end of his rope, Yuno pressed, "What do I have to do to get that through to you?" Looking at Noelle, Yuno finished with, "At the very least, make sure she doesn't continue this behavior. I won't be so nice next time I intervene." Leaving that threat in the air, he turned and vanished like Kahono into Clover City. A faded memory floated in Asta's mind.

* * *

 _Yuno stood before the four of them trembling while holding his glasses to prevent it from shaking. "Nero's tricking all of you!" He exclaimed as confidently as he could. His form shook more the longer he tried to convince them of that._

 _Charmy was gazing out distantly as she contemplated his words while gripping her arm to stay grounded. Noelle was facing away from them as she looked at the factory Yuno had asked them to meet at without Nero. Asta stood by the other boy as he tried to suppress the frown making its way onto his face. It wasn't that he thought Yuno was a liar, but it wasn't like he could believe him either. It didn't seem possible._

 _Finally, Noelle broke the silence that had settled between the four of them. She turned to look at the other boy with skepticism written all over her face. "Okay, look," She asked as she put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, "What could Nero possibly gain by telling us such a huge lie?"_

 _"U-Umm, well…"_

 _"I bet you're just saying that to get us to all turn against each other!" Noelle accused, "In fact, you're probably working with that Kahono girl, aren't you?!"_

 _"N-no, I'm not!"_

 _At the distress in Yuno's voice, Asta stepped in. Moving between the two of them, he turned to the angry girl and said, "Noelle, you're the one who's turning against people here." He had been trying to make Noelle realize that it wasn't helping the situation at hand to yell at Yuno or anyone. They were all Magical Knights; couldn't they just get along? His friend sighed before shifting away and scoffing._

 _"Whatever," She responded, "Personally, I'm against teaming up with this guy." Muttering, she clarified, "You and Charmy may be fine because you use long-range weapons, but I fight right in the thick of things." Turning back to glare slightly at Yuno, Noelle grumbled, "Having bombs go off in my face is something I can live without." Huffing, she exclaimed as her hands twitched, "I've almost been caught in the blast several times now!"_

 _Trying to defuse the growing tension herself, Charmy chimed in, "Are there any weapons you can use besides bombs?"_

 _The other boy looked down at his feet as his body trembled ever so slightly. Trying to sooth him, Asta put on hand on his shoulder. Slowly Yuno shook his head and said, "I'll…think of something."_

* * *

The next day, while in class, Asta was distant to say the least. First there was last night's daydream, if he could call it that. Just the thought of the vision was kept him feeling on the edge, though he didn't know if he could believe it any more than the other ones he had been seeing. Though, more pressing to Asta was Noelle's situation. She hadn't contacted him all day. Even on her family's worst days towards her, she would still meet up with Asta and vent her frustrations on whatever the issue may be. Asta never thought there'd be a problem that she couldn't come to him with. He was at a loss with what to do and where to go from here.

Apparently, his quietness gathered more attention than his usual attitude. Because next thing Asta knows, Yami has grabbed his head with his hand. "Ow, ow, ow!" He squeaked as he was jolted back into reality.

"You, me, outside," Yami stated as the older man let go upon seeing he had his student's attention, "Now." Then he turned and walked out of the classroom without another word. Asta paled at the declaration, but he still rose from his seat. Though he couldn't help but rub his head as he followed him and wonder if death was awaiting him.

When they were far enough away from the classroom, Yami turned to Asta and said, "Spill it." When Asta blinked in confusion, Yami clarified, "What's eating at ya, kid?" Said boy fidgeted slightly. It was true he wanted advice, but he understood that it was probably beyond the comprehension of people who didn't know about the concept of Magical Knights.

"One of my friends is fighting with another person who's supposed to be on the same team as them," Asta said slowly as he tried to carefully pick his words, "I can't get them to see that."

"It's not your problem," Yami stated and caused him to bristle.

"It _is_ my business," Asta huffed, "She's my best friend. How can I not get involved?" He paused as a thought occurred to him. "What if it's fate?" Asta pondered out-loud, not necessarily to Yami, as his eyebrows furrowed together. What if there was nothing he could do for help? Everything else he had been trying hadn't worked out swimmingly, despite all his efforts. He felt his chest tighten.

Yami snorted. "Mr. Destiny, huh?" he said, "I hate that bastard's guts." Reaching into his pocket, the man fumbled for something. "Who would ever pay attention to him?" He asked as he retrieved a packet of cigarettes, "I'd tear him apart and do whatever I damn well please." He plucked a cigarette to smoke and lit it. "Sometimes people need to make mistakes," He added as he took a swig of it and puffed out smoke, "It's what being an adult's about. Testing your limits, even among other people." He reached down and jostled Asta's hair. "Get it?" He asked.

As Asta processed his words, he could feel that knot of unease in his stomach loosen slightly. It felt kind of nice to get advice from a neutral party for once, instead of everyone he talked to having their own agendas. Smiling up at Yami, he grinned as he felt some of his normal energy coming back. "Just do all that I can, right?" He repeated, feeling more confident.

"Sure, sure," Yami muttered in agreement. With not as much bite as usual, he shooed Asta and said, "Now that's settled, let me have my smoke break in peace. Get outta here and back to class, or I'll kill ya." Said student saluted and rushed off.

* * *

"You're sure I can't convince you to call a truce with Kahono?" Asta questioned as he and Noelle walked towards the highway bridge she had apparently challenged the other girl to battle on sometime during the day. Noelle walked angrily towards the brawl's destination while detaching her charm necklace from her neck. The light from the streetlamps casted shadows on her as she readied the charm. Nero was stayed silently perched on his head while it observed them.

"Positive."

Kahono was sitting on the railing looking towards the traffic, already in her Magical Knight uniform. She had an ear-bud in as she listened to some music on a device that, from the current distance, Asta couldn't tell what brand or model it was. She turned her attention to them as she heard their approach. Popping her headphone out and placing it around the device next to her, she swung her legs back and landed on the bridge. "You ready to do this?" she sang as Noelle nodded. Before anyone could move, a new voice joined the conversation.

"Stand aside."

All three of them turned their attention to Yuno, who was approaching from the opposite side of the bridge. Kahono was the first to speak. "Hey, she's the one who raring for a fight," She called out, "And she's not backing out." Her grimoire glowed in her hand. "Besides," The girl added, "We're here to finish things from last time."

"If that's the case, then I'll take her on," Yuno stated, "Don't get involved." He flickered out for a second in Asta's eyes before reappearing past Kahono. Said girl regarded Yuno for a moment before turning to grab her music device and pop her ear-bud back into her ear.

"I'll give you until I finish this song."

"That's plenty of time."

"I'm not that easy," Noelle declared as she held up her soul gem. At that moment, Asta sprang into action. Grabbing the gem with a startle gasp from Noelle, he ran over to the edge of the highway.

"Sorry!" He shouted as he chucked the rock off the bridge. It landed on a passing truck and quickly zoomed far away from the bridge. He thought he heard a gasp from Yuno before feeling his presence blink out entirely. Noelle ran up to confront him.

"What the hell, Asta?!"

Asta faced her. "This was the only way I could think," He said trailing off as Noelle collapsed against him. He caught her and called her name, but she didn't answer him.

"That was bad, Asta," Nero said as it flew to the railing, "Why would you throw your friend like that?"

"What," He started before pausing and trying again. "W-What are you saying?" he asked as his voice went blank out of shock. Kahono, who had watched the spectacle, walked over to him and Noelle. She reached out and pressed her fingers to Noelle neck. Waiting a couple moments, she pulled away with her eyes going wide in disbelief.

"What's going on?" she asked out-loud as she stepped back with her mouth opened wide in shock. "She's dead!" She exclaimed nearly hysterical. Asta froze as his body felt like it was being submerged in ice water. He pulled away from Noelle and shook her, desperately wanting to believe it wasn't true. But his friend just sagged back and forth like a puppet that had been cut from its strings.

"Noelle!" He said, not giving up on shaking her, "Come on! This isn't funny!" His heart was pounding and felt like it was either beating too fast to feel or had stopped all together. He hadn't meant for this. He wouldn't have done this if he had known that this would be the results. He continued to call Noelle name over and over in hopes it was all a bad dream. Kahono turned to Nero as shock gave way to rage in her expression.

"You Magical Knight can only control your bodies from a hundred meters away, at most," The bird explained as if its words would help the situation.

"A hundred meters?" She repeated as her voice went up an octave in desperation, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Normally you walk around with them," Nero replied, "So accidents like this don't happen."

"What are you saying?" Asta demanded with his voice raising in volume as he continued, "Can't you save her? Don't let Noelle die!" He could hear Nero sigh.

"Asta," Nero answered in an emotionless tone, "That's not Noelle. That's just an empty vessel." Asta blinked while his thoughts ceased running. "You just threw Noelle," Nero clarified. Kahono grabbed at her soul gem as it continued. "I couldn't ask you to fight Demons with a fragile, normal human body," Nero informed, "A Magical Knight's old body is nothing more than a piece of external hardware." The creature looked towards the rushing traffic for a moment before returning it attention to the group. "Your actual soul is given a much safer, hardier form," Nero enlightened, "That can be used to control magic much more efficiently." It fluffed up its feathers nonchalantly. "It's part of my job," Nero stated, "When I complete a Magical Knight's contract." Unaffected by the horror his audience was portraying, the bird finished with, "I take your souls and change them into Soul Gems."

Kahono finally snapped at the last comment. "You bastard!" She cried, "You basically turned us into zombies!" She grabbed the bird and held him above the traffic.

"Isn't it more convenient this way?" Nero asked calmly despite his predicament. Asta couldn't move or tell if he was still breathing. "Even if your heart is torn to shreds," The bird chirped, "Or you lose every drop of blood in your body, if you heal that with magic, you'll be able to operate again right away." Kahono had bits of tears gathering in her eyes. "You're basically invincible," Nero told her, "Provided that your soul gem doesn't break." Her hand shook. "Isn't that much more useful during a fight than a human body full of potential problems?" It asked.

"That's," Asta started before having to pause and find his voice. "That's horrible," He whispered for once in his life. He crouched down and placed Noelle's body on the ground as the strength to hold it left him. He looked down at her body as he felt his own begin to shake in sadness or fear – he didn't know. "That's really, really terrible," He repeated quietly.

"You're all the same," Nero stated, "You always act the same way when you're told what's going on." That damn bird didn't give an ounce of sympathy. "Why do you place so much value on where your souls are located?" The creature questioned. Kahono finally unfroze from her shock at its last words. She chucked the bird down towards the highway, only for it to use its wings to fly back up towards the railing.

Asta peered up as he felt Yuno's presence return. In the other boy's hand was Noelle's soul gem. Kahono and Asta numbly watched him while he placed it in one of Noelle's palms before he took a step back. There were no signs of distress from the other appeared as the only thing Yuno did appear was slightly winded. Near Asta, Noelle took a startled gasp as both him and Kahono jumped. Sitting up, she looked around at the group gathered before her.

"What?" she asked, slowly sensing the mood, "What's wrong?"


	5. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 5

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

The next day, Noelle didn't show up again. This time, Asta was sure what the problem was. A black pit of guilt filled his chest. If only he hadn't throw her soul gem, then none of this would have happened. Well, the problem still would have still existed, just hidden. Asta couldn't help but feel, though, that this was a situation where "ignorance is bliss."

He let out a sigh as he took a break of doing sit-ups and leaned against the fence of the school roof. It had been hard faking a smile and his usual energy to not arouse suspicion or worry from anyone more than he had already had. It was easier to play the fool than let the world know of the thoughts that ran circles in his head. He didn't want to drag more people into his problems, especially seeing how he seemed to make things worse. Something in him whispered he didn't even have the right to worry compared to what Noelle, Kahona, and even Yuno were going through. Speaking of Yuno.

He glanced up and saw the black-haired enigma approach him. The other didn't give any signs of distress at the news last night and still didn't today. Yuno sat down beside him, leaning against the fence. "Did you know, Yuno?" Asta asked, wanting to get to the point. He watched Yuno nod from the corner of his eye. "Why didn't you say something?" Asta questioned.

"I have in the past before," Yuno replied, never losing his apathetic edge, "Not a single person has ever believed me." They stared ahead, their gazes locked at nothing in particular. Both lost in their own worlds. Something in Asta's chest twitched as he thought back to his most recent daydream a couple nights ago. He didn't like how that aligned with what he saw. He didn't like what it implied about the other ones.

"Why would Nero even do something this cruel?" Asta pondered outloud, trying to focus on something else.

"Because it doesn't think of it as cruel," Yuno answered, "It is a life form that cannot comprehend human values." Before when Asta chalked his daydreams up to just that, his imagination, he couldn't help but wonder if Yuno himself was another life form unable to comprehend human values with the way he acted or spoke nearly without any emotion. Now, Asta couldn't help but think that somewhere along the way, the boy beside him had broken and never got put back together right. "It's probably insist that this is simply fair payment for the miracles it grants," Yuno added, snapping Asta out of his internal struggle as it set off a nerve.

"That's not a fair exchange at all!" Asta shouted slamming his fist into the fence behind him. "All she wanted was to heal her family," he muttered as he tried to hide his face in his arm.

"That doesn't change the fact that it was a miracle," Yuno responded, "Because it made the impossible possible." Asta's body stiffened as apprehension filled his bones. "If Noelle hadn't made that wish," Yuno said, "I doubt her family would have recovered from that crash. And if they did, they never would have been the same." He turned his head to face Asta. "In truth," Yuno stated, "The value of a miracle is far greater than an entire human life. And it is that which the creature sells."

Asta didn't want to give up though. "So, there's no way Noelle would be able to go back to her old life?" Asta asked. There had to be some way.

"I told you before," Yuno said, "You should give up on Noelle Silva."

Asta thought back to the time when he had wandered into a demon labyrinth, and it was Noelle that had saved him. "Noelle's saved my life!" he said in declaration, "If she hadn't become a Magical Knight back then, I would have died!" Something in him whispered that the situation was more familiar to him then he thought. Shaking his head, Asta tried to focus on conveying to Yuno what he was trying to say. Noelle's wish wasn't in vain, that she had saved others from horrible fates and deserved the same.

"Don't confuse gratitude with responsibility," Yuno responded. Asta stilled as he getting a stronger déjà vu feeling, similar to the one from the cafe. Like Yuno wasn't exactly speaking about Noelle and Asta entirely. "You have no ability to save Noelle Silva," Yuno continued, "If you hope to repay her in order to alleviate your guilt, don't." Yuno turned away and finished with, "There is no need for such presumption."

They sat in silence for a moment before Asta got up. "Why are you always so cold, Yuno?" he asked, wondering if the kindhearted boy from his daydreams was just an illusion. Asta wasn't actually expecting a reply. But then again, Yuno had always surprised Asta. Just before Asta exited the roof, he heard Yuno's distant response.

"Perhaps it is because I, too, am no longer human."

* * *

As night fell, Noelle exited her house to find Asta waiting for her. As she stared at him silently, Asta put on the best smile he could muster and said, "Didn't we decide this before? What's a Knight without her page?" Tears filled her eyes.

"Dorksta!" she choked out as she began to sob. She ran to Asta, tackling him into a hug. Asta hugged her back and let her cry, not minding that it was getting his shirt wet. They went to a nearby bench, away from her house which Asta knew was the source for at least half of her tears. She wiped her eyes against her arm, trying to dry her tears. Asta waited as patiently as he could for her to get sorted out.

"They're right," she whimpered, "My siblings are right in calling me a disgrace. A failure." She rubbed at her eyes. "Even before I became a Magical Knight, they were always saying stuff like that," she sobbed. "I made this wish hoping that maybe things would get better," she continued, "But all I've done is proven them right!" She held her face in her hands. "I couldn't save Charmy!" she bawled, "I lost my humanity! I-I…" She stopped to let out another sob. Asta just rubbed her back in soothing circles until her cries died down. "Kahona was right," Noelle sniffled, "Making a wish for someone else only ends in tragedy. Just like hers."

"That's not true!" Asta exclaimed, unable to listen to his friend put herself down anymore, "You've done plenty of good!"

"Name one."

"You saved my life!"

Noelle sniffled again before mumbling out a "Thank you." She rubbed her eyes, regaining her composure. "Come on," she said standing up, "Those demons aren't going to hunt themselves."

* * *

There was something wrong with Noelle, and it had building up the past couple of days of patrol with her. Now, she was charging against the Licht demon allowing it to strike her several times with its light whips as the shadowy form sat in a prayer formation ahead of them. Wounds appeared and disappeared rapidly as she continued her assault while healing herself. Asta saw Kahona enter the barrier. But before either of them could try to save Noelle, they heard her laughing nearly hysterical. They both turned to see her cutting the whips with her sword. Noelle stabbed the demon, blood splattering on her face. She grinned so twisted and continued to stab the demon. Fear squeezed Asta's heart. "Nero was right!" Noelle exclaimed, "If I don't want it to, it doesn't hurt at all!" She gleefully carved into the demon while all Asta could do was stand still in shock and thought: Stop. Please, Noelle. _Stop_.

She handed the chaos jewel to Kahona as the labyrinth around them fades into construction equipment. Rain clouds began to gather in the sky around them, darkening the land. "I don't need it," she declared, "I don't need it." She wobbled slightly, and Asta reached out to steady her. She smacked his hands away and ignored the concerned faces of those around. Kahona took the jewel and cast one worried look at her but decided that it wasn't her battle to fight at the moment. She disappeared into the construction yard.

Looking around for a bench or something of that nature, Asta tried to lead Noelle to one so she could rest. Her movements were becoming increasingly unstable as she transformed out her Magical Knight attire, clutching at her soul gem. Recalling what Charmy said about soul gems and chaos jewels, Asta told her, "I think you do need it." Noelle took a step away, glaring at Asta. She pointed a finger at him.

"Don't even," she hissed, "You have no right to even _pretend_ you like you know, Asta."

"I may have no idea," Asta rose to her challenge, "But even I can tell, Noelle! The way you fought that demon. . ." He paused, suppressing a shiver. "It's not right to tear yourself to pieces just because you can't feel it!" he told her, "That's going to get you killed one day!"

Noelle gave a humorless laugh. "I'm already dead," she snorted, "I just act alive." Looking up at the sky, Noelle's eyes seemed to match the growing thunderstorm. "Besides if I hadn't done that," she added "I wouldn't have been able to win." She covered her face with one of her hands. "I don't have any natural talent for this sort of thing," she admitted before dropping her hand and looked at the ground.

"Even if you do win," Asta persisted, "That's not going to help you in the end."

"Tell me then, Asta," Noelle said facing away from him as the rain began to fall, "What _would_ help me?" Turning around, she showed him her soul gem. "Now that I've been turned into this _thing_ ," she asked slowly, "How can anything help me?" Turning away once more, the rain soaking her figure, she said, "All I can do now is kill demons." She watched the raindrops collect into puddles. "I'm not even alive," she whispered as if to confirm it to herself. Staring at her distorted reflection, she pondered, "Who would do something for me when I'm like this?" Not giving Asta a chance to cut in, she finished and said, "It's pointless to think about."

"I'm was just wondering what I can do make you happier," Asta whispered sadly, "You're family, Noelle. It hurts to see you like this."

Noelle twitched. "If that's the case," she stated, "Then you should fight." Asta stared at her with wide eyes. "Remember Nero telling you that you have more natural talent than anyone else?" she asked him as the clouds draped shadows onto her figure. "You could probably take out demons just like that," she said with a snap of her fingers, "Without having to suffer like me, right?"

As much as Asta wanted, hating the helpless feeling inside him that taunted him with the fact that he was powerless, Charmy's words came back to him in moments like this. _"I know it sounds bad," she sighed, dropping her smile, "But rash wishes led to regret. That's why I wanted you two to have time to think about whether you really had a wish or not." Looking away, her eyes distant, Charmy finished by saying, "A wish made for other people's sake and not your own don't usually have a happy ending. I know. Even if that wish is made for family."_ Whether Noelle sensed his internal struggle or not, she continued on.

"If you want to do something for me," she snapped, "How about trying to walk in my shoes first?" Something snapped in Asta's head. She didn't wait for his reply. "But you can't, can you?" she said almost mockingly, "Of course not." Noelle took a couple steps forward. "You wouldn't give up on your humanity just because you pitied me," she declared, "Whether you consider me family or not."

"It's not pity," Asta tried to explain, but he was stopped by the dark expression on Noelle's face as she looked over her shoulder at him. The pounding in his head increased.

"You can do anything," she got out through clenched teeth, "But instead you sit there while I'm the one on the front lines." Hurt blossomed in Asta's chest. "Don't act like you know what you're talking about," she repeated, "Especially when you're not willing to do it yourself." _It wasn't like that_ , Asta wanted to explain but the words were lodged in his throat. "Don't follow me," Noelle commanded as she darted off into the rain, leaving Asta alone. A deep buzzing filled his ears.

* * *

 _Pain filled his body. Walpurgisnacht was gone but so was Charmy. Yuno and Asta had fought tooth and nail to finish her last mission, to protect Clover City. Asta, in particular, used every ounce of magic he had to the point he almost shattered the soul gem himself. Not that he could regret his choice. They won, and the city was safe. Yuno was safe, right beside him. Asta's soul gem in his hand began to burn as he laid in the shallow bay water, and that flame made its way up his body._

 _"What's wrong?" he heard Yuno asked, concern coloring his voice. Asta clenched his teeth to prevent from screaming as the pain became unbearable. He didn't want to worry Yuno, but his mind was fading agonizingly. "Mister Kaname!" Yuno exclaimed, voice raising in volume, "Hold on!"_

" _W-Why?" he gritted out. Asta felt his soul gem change, and he held up it to see a chaos gem in its place. He didn't understand. Wasn't that what demons had? It began to crumble, and pain, unlike anything Asta had felt before, shot through his body at rapid fire._

 _He thought he heard someone scream in torment before realizing it was his own voice. Misery above him was calling to him, dragging him into the well of crying voices. He didn't like this feeling. This wasn't what he wanted when he became a Magical Knight. He just wanted everyone to be happy. For Yuno to be happy._

* * *

The next time Asta sees Noelle or Yuno is at the same time. And not for good reasons. A few days after Asta's and Noelle's fight and having no contact from her, he came wandering down the train tracks to see Kahono carrying Noelle with Yuno following a little way behind her. He can already tell something's wrong when he can't see Noelle's soul gem and how the others avoid making eye contact with him.

"What happened?" Asta demanded. Yuno was the one who answered him, using his usual tone emotionless tone.

"Her soul gem transformed into a chaos jewel," he stated, "And was destroyed after it hatched a new demon." Asta's legs turned to jelly in shock, and he fell to his knees. He blankly looked at Yuno as he knelt on the tracks.

"This isn't funny," was all Asta could reply with, hoping against hope that this all a bad dream. A nagging voice inside told him it wasn't. Another told him that this wasn't an unexpected outcome, that he should have already known this.

"It's the truth," Yuno reaffirmed, "The final secret of soul gems." He brought forth his own soul gem, glowing a bright purple. "When these gems grow tainted and turn completely black," he said, "They turn into chaos jewels, and we are reborn as demons." The world seemed to grow silent except for Yuno's final words, "That is the inescapable fate of all Magical Knights."

"That's not true," Asta begged as he got up and approached the two. Kahono looked away while Yuno observed his reactions. From their silence, Asta found his truth, and the feelings inside him reaffirmed it. Raising a hand to cover his face, he rambled in attempt to make sense of everything, "Noelle said she wanted to protect people from demons. To fight for justice. That is why she became a Magical Knight." Curling his free hand into a fist, he bit out, "So why…?"

"It could only last until she had suffered," Yuno answered, "An amount equal to the good she had wished for." Without a change in pitch, Yuno stated, "From here on, for every person she has saved, she will curse another." None of them spoke as silence enveloped the air. The tension grew until something among them snapped.

Kahona set Noelle's body on the ground quietly before spinning around and grabbing Yuno's collar. "What's your problem?" she asked through gritted teeth, her patience finally broken. "Are we supposed to be impressed by how much you know?" she demanded while Yuno was unresponsive. Tightening her grip, she continued, "How can you stand there and talk so heartlessly right now?" Looking at Asta, she could see the signs of shock he felt entering his system. The wide, unseeing eyes. The tremor. "He was her best friend!" she snapped.

Yuno observed Asta and saw the tears forming in his eyes as he wept over Noelle. "You understand now, don't you?" Yuno asked him, "What it means to be a Magical Knight?" Asta gave no sign of response, just continued sob over Noelle. Yuno brushed off Kahona's hand off and told her, "Try not be seen with the corpse you brought." Adding, he said, "Take care of how you dispose of it, or you'll find yourself in trouble later."

"How can you call yourself human?!" Kahona hissed at him.

"I don't," Yuno replied, "And neither should you."

* * *

Asta sat on his bed, having gone straight to his room as soon as he got home. He ignored everyone he passed and stayed as far away from the room across from his as the walls allowed. He didn't know what he would do if he saw Yuno, truthfully. He curled into a ball and tried to process all that had happened. His window glowed blue as the figure of Nero appeared.

"Can I come in?" it asked, "I would like to talk to you."

"So, you're alive after all," Asta muttered as Nero settled on the shelf above his bed. Making the first move, he asked, "Was what Yuno said true?"

"True enough that I can't protest it," Nero admitted.

"So, you've been turning us into Magical Knights just so we'll become demons?"

"Please don't misunderstand. We don't do this out of ill will towards the human race."

The bird fluttered onto Asta's bed in front of him. "Everything we've done is for the sake of prolonging the life of the universe," the bird explained. Fluffing its feathers, it asked Asta, "Do you know what the work, 'entropy,' means?" When Asta didn't reply, the bird answered itself and said, "To give a simple example, the amount of heat energy a bonfire gives off is not equal to the energy it took to grow the wood it's made of." The bird hopped closer. "In short, when energy changes form, some of it gets lost," it concluded.

"As a result, the amount of usable energy in the universe is decreasing," Nero stated. Upon getting no reaction still, Nero started, "So we began searching for a form of energy that wasn't bound by the laws of thermodynamics." Its voice seemed to get prouder. "And what we found was the power of the Magical Knights," it finished, "Our civilization created technology that could convert the emotions of a sentient life-form into raw energy."

Asta raised his head to look at Nero. "Why us then?" he asked, "Why couldn't you do it?" Nero shook its head, feathers becoming sleek again.

"Our species do not possess the capacity to experience emotion," Nero explained. No kidding. Asta figured that out by now. "So, we studied various species throughout the universe," Nero continued, "Until we finally found you humans." Asta said nothing.

"With the size of your population and rate of reproduction," Nero chirped, "The amount of emotional energy produced by a single human is greater than the amount used between its birth and growth." Amazement warmed its tone. "Human souls truly are the energy source that could counter entropy!" it declared.

"And the most effective of all are children in the second stage of development," Nero added, "Who experience the greatest fluctuations between hope and despair." An image of Noelle, Charmy, Yuno, and Kahona floated in Asta's mind. "In the moment when your soul gems flare out and turn into chaos jewels," Nero continued, "An enormous energy is created." Nero hopped right in front of Asta. "It is the job of us Incubators to collect that energy," he stated.

"So, what?" Asta asked, curling tighter around himself, "We're just disposable energy for you?" Charmy's smiling face as she offered him a cupcake. Noelle's amused grin as she teased him. He would never see them again. "Are you saying we should die for you?" he choked. For some reason, an image of Yuno laying in the rain beside him, body covered in wounds, flashed into his mind. He really didn't like that image.

"Do you know how many civilizations fill this universe," Nero questioned in return, "And how much energy they use in a single moment?" Asta didn't answer, but he suspected Nero was expecting that. "Someday, even you humans will be able to leave your planet and come join us all," Nero stated, "When that day comes, you wouldn't want to find an empty and desolate universe, would you?" It jumped slightly. "If you think about," it said, "This should be a good deal for you as well." He thought about how Yuno had interacted with him. How the boy accepted he lost his humanity and seemed to force himself to become the monster others saw at times.

"Don't be ridiculous," Asta denied, "How can you say it's okay for Charmy to die, for Noelle to suffer, for Yuno to lose his humanity, just for some crazy reason like that?" Not waiting for a reply, he concluded, "That isn't right. It's too cruel!"

"But we always ask and receive your consent before making contracts," Nero countered, "Doesn't that show our good will alone?"

"But you do it by tricking us all!"

"We aren't able to comprehend what you mean by 'tricking,'" the bird declared. It cleaned its feathers a little as it continued, "Why is it that when humans regret a decision based on a misunderstanding that they feel resentment toward the other party?"

"I can't even follow what you're saying. I can't understand you at all."

"It's we who have had such a hard time understanding humans and your value systems." That was the only Asta could relate with creature. He didn't understand its value systems either. Asta doubted he ever would. "With a current population of 6.9 billion," it asked as it flapped its wings, "That is increasing by a rate of 10 per every 4 seconds, why should you care so much about the loss of a tiny handful?"

"If that's how you think, then you really are our enemy, Nero."

"Despite that, I did come and try to explain ourselves to you here."

Nero looked up at Asta. "And I was hoping you'd understand," it admitted, "What incredible good your sacrifices have done for this universe. But I guess not."

"Of course not."

"Asta, I still believe that one day, you will become the greatest of all Magical Knights, and then the most terrible of all demons." A shiver ran up his spine. Somehow, he could believe the second part of Nero's statement. Phantom sensations of pain worked their way up his arm.

Nero began hoping away. "When that happens," it said, "We will surely obtain an incomparable amount of energy." As its presence faded away, it called out, "So if you ever feel like dying for the sake of the universe, please call me anytime. I'll be waiting for you!" Asta waited until it was gone completely to bury himself in his arms.


	6. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 6

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

The walk to school felt hollow. Asta couldn't help but feel that he had taken all those walks with Noelle for granted. Even now, he was waiting for her to appear or call him "Dorksta" one more time. Closing his eyes, an image of her limp form appeared while Kahono carried her body away. That would be the last time he saw her in person. Now he could only encounter her in his memories - good or bad.

"Seriously?" A voice echoed in his mind, "After everything, you're still going to school. I didn't know you were such a dedicated student." It made Asta nearly jump out of skin as he looked around to try and find who was talking to him. There was nothing around him but the trees and the canal. "Up here," the voice called again. Asta peered upward towards the city and could just make out a figure on the roof of a glass tower. Kahono. He took a couple steps closer towards the building in the distance, as if that would help him hear her better.

"Think you could meet me somewhere?" She asked him. "I need to talk to you." Adding, as if to lighten the air between them, she joked, "I won't charge you, promise." Nodding, even though she might not be able to see it, Asta turned away from his usual path to school. He had tried to find the glass building by going down some alleyways between housing complexes, but. instead, he found himself in a clearing with a puddle of rain that was leftover from the storm a few nights ago. Luckily, Kahono was there waiting for him since he didn't want to admit he had gotten lost trying to find her previous location.

She wasn't in her Magical Knight uniform. Instead she was wearing a zipped up, sea-blue hoodie with a dolphin stitched on the side, a white skirt that touched her knees, and a white pair of below-the-knee boots. It gave her a friendlier appeal than her usual attire that Asta had become accustom to seeing her in. "Do you want to save Noelle Silva?" Kahono asked as she got to the chase of their meeting.

"So, there's a way to save her?!" Asta exclaimed in response and caused Kahono to wince at his volume. His voice even surprised himself. It had been awhile since he could muster up enough determination to sound at his "normal" tone. Perhaps he was just that desperate for good news.

"Kind of," Kahono responded as she kicked a stray pebble into the puddle, "Maybe you'll think I'm an idiot…" She trailed off as if she was trying to work how to phrase it.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" Asta asked her rhetorically that earned him a signature smile from Kahono. Everyone seemed to call him that at one point or another anyway.

"Right," She said softly. Taking a deep breath, she declared to Asta "Until we know for sure whether she can be saved or not, I don't want to give up." That statement took Asta by surprise. He hadn't known Kahono and Noelle had grown close. "Even if she's a Demon," Kahono pressed, "She may at least remember the voices of her friends." She took a couple steps towards Asta. "So, if you call out to her," She explained, "Maybe she'll get her memories of being human back." She twirled a piece of her hair as if to settle her nerves while she added, "And you're probably the only one who can do that."

"Do you really think it'll work?" Asta asked her slowly. He had already failed to save Noelle once. He had failed to find anyway to help her before she became a Demon. All he could do was helplessly watch from the sidelines. To hear there was something only he could do, be of some use – well, it was met with a hearty dose of surprise if not skepticism.

"How am I supposed to know?" Kahono replied, "I just said I don't even know if she _can_ be saved." Perhaps bothered by the disheartened look that crossed his face, she added quickly, "It's because I don't know that I want to try it." She looked up at the sky and hummed. "Maybe," She sighed to herself, "When I slice that Demon in half, Noelle's Soul Gem will pop out instead." Smiling at Asta, she asked, "Wouldn't that be something?" She twisted her hair in her finger some more. "Like one of those stories where love and courage triumph over all," She murmured, "Like the ones my brother and I used to sing about."

She put a finger on her lips in thought. "Come to think of it," She said, "That's part of the reason I became a Magical Knight. So, I wouldn't lose those stories." Humming, she whispered, "It was Noelle who reminded me of those times. I had nearly forgotten them on my own." At Asta's confused face, she laughed. "Oh," She said while grinning, "I would have thought Noelle would have told you all about my past when I told her. Guess not." Shaking her head, she murmured, "Oh well, adds a dash of mystery to me then." Taking a deep breath, she returned to her original tone.

"In all seriousness," She told him, "If you don't want to come, I won't force you." Meeting his eyes, she stated, "It's going to be pretty dangerous, after all." When Asta held her gaze determinedly, she pressed, "I can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you." He shook his head. Finally, he could maybe do something for Noelle.

"I'll help," He told her while taking a couple steps forward, "I want to help." Holding out his fist, he gave her a smile. "I'm Asta Kaname," he said as signal that he forgave her for the past events. That they could start over and maybe be friends someday. Part of him felt like they had been once.

Kahono met his smile with one of her own. "Ah man," She laughed, "You're going to cramp my style." Taking a couple more steps forward and stretching out an arm, she bummed her own fist against his. "Kahono Sakura," She introduced, "Pleased to meet you." Asta felt her press something between his fingers, into his palm. Pulling back, he opened his hand to find a white shell.

* * *

Asta spent the next couple days after school formulating a plan with Kahono, but it didn't make it feel like the time went gone by any better. The missing posters about Noelle were posted both throughout Clover City and inside the school constantly remindied him of his failure. People had been questioning him repeatedly on what he knew, but all he could reply back with was the half-truth that he didn't know where Noelle went either. The sky has long grown dark, and Asta knew he should have been heading back home to the Church, since, otherwise, he'd be worrying his family more than he had already been doing. But he couldn't go back just yet as his head was still buzzing with too much inside. He decided to cut through the park that had the fountains in it in hopes of getting his mind off of things, if only for a moment. He hadn't expected to see Nero there though.

The creature sat in the middle of the park with its figure completely covered with the shadow of the fountain it was under. "Do you hate me too?" It asked as it hopped forward to face Asta.

"If I did," He countered, "Would you turn Noelle back?"

The bird shook its head. "I can't," Nero explained, "That's beyond my power." Of course, it was. Asta moved to sit on one of the benches as he figured he might as well talk to the bird and get some possible answers to the questions he had been carrying around for a while. Nero flew over to the bench and landed beside him.

"You once said," Asta stated slowly, "That I could be an incredibly strong Magical Knight." He looked at Nero. "Is that true?" He asked.

"Incredible doesn't even begin to describe it," Nero replied, "You'd become a Magical Knight of unimaginable power. Perhaps the strongest in the world." As he thought of what it could mean, gears began to turn in Asta's head.

"If I accept your offer," He questioned quietly, "Would Noelle still have to be a Magical Knight? Would she still be a Demon?"

"Noelle made her own wish come true," Nero replied. It began to groom its feathers as it added, "In the end, you had nothing to do with her decision." Asta looked at his lap. That feeling of helplessness that was always nagging him of late began making itself known once more.

"Why me?" He wondered as he let the thought slip from his lips.

"I don't know," The bird admitted, "To put it bluntly, your potential is on a level beyond what should be theoretically possible." Nero turned its form towards Asta. "I'd like to know just as much as you do," It added when Asta glanced at it. The creature cocked its heads and continued, "If you were to release your power, you wouldn't just unleash a miracle." If Nero had an amazed tone, this would be it as it stated, "You might be able to bend the very laws of the universe itself." As if examining Asta, Nero concluded its thoughts with, "I can't even imagine why you alone have so much potential resting with you."

Asta looked up towards the nighttime sky. The stars' lights looked distant and cold from where he sat. "I was thought there was nothing special about me," He admitted quietly, "That I'd just stumble through life, never being of use or help to anyone." He closed his eyes. "It was so frustrating to see everyone around me have special talents," He continued, "And knowing I couldn't experience that myself. Even though I tell myself not to give up, that if I keep looking for another way that there'll be _something_ , there are times I don't believe myself and have pretend I do." He paused slightly as he opened his eyes, before adding, "It was really lonely, but I thought I just had to accept it."

"Looks like reality turned out to be quite different," Nero chirped in response while it gazed up at the stars alongside him, "If you wished for it, Asta, you might even become a god." His eyes widened a little at that statement as he processed it.

"Would I be able to do what you couldn't?" He asked Nero with tension building in his muscles.

"Like what?"

"If I made a contract with you, could I return Noelle to normal?"

"That would be like child's play to you."

Shadows overlapped Nero's body for a moment while the creature appeared to lost in thought for a moment. Then the bird looked towards Asta and asked, "Is that a wish worth trading away your very soul?"

Leaning forward, Asta answered with as much determination as he was feeling. "If it means I can help Noelle, I'll do it," He declared, "I'll become a –" But he never got to finish that sentence since Nero was suddenly ripped apart before his very eyes with feathers scattering all around him. He sucked in a breath and pulled back sharply. A loud c _lank_ was heard behind him, and he whipped his head around to find the source. Yuno stood in Magical Knight uniform, while panting as if he had just run a marathon to get here. Several empty bullet shells and an automatic hand-gun laid at his feet.

"You didn't have to kill him!"

Yuno twitched as something about Asta's statement clearly affected him. Before Asta could react, the other crossed the remaining distance to the park bench and slammed his hands on either side of Asta's body to preventing him from any attempt of escaping. He leaned down and got so close that Asta could feel the other's rapid breaths brush his face.

"Why?" Yuno asked as his voice lost its controlled edge, "Why are you always sacrificing yourself?" The pools of amber that were generally frozen were molten with heat. "Don't demean yourself," He astonished, "By saying that you can't help anyone, or that you're useless." His voice seemed to be getting close to breaking as he continued desperately, "Think about all the people who care about you!" His hands lowered onto Asta's shoulders while his fingers shook with either fear or rage, as he yelled, "Just cut it out!" He touched his forehead against Asta's and closed his eyes. Trying in vain to regain some composure, he exclaimed, "Why don't you understand that there are people who would grieve if you died?!" It was like a dam had cracked inside of Yuno as his entire being began to shake. "Why don't you consider the person who is trying so hard to protect you?!" He cried out. Opening his eyes, he moved one hand to cup Asta's cheek as he whispered a broken, "Why? Why don't you understand?"

Whatever spell that had fallen over the two of them shattered. Yuno's eyes widened when he realized what he was doing. Asta watched as a tempest of emotions ran through those amber waves. He looked more human than Asta could ever remember seeing Yuno appear in the world beyond his daydreams. The other released him and took a step back. His shaking legs gave out, and he collapsed on his hands and knees.

"Yuno," Asta whispered as something tugged at the back of his mind. Like the static, he could understand only bits and pieces, but this feeling, the threating to burst forth, had always inside of him when Yuno was around. Not realizing he was talking, Asta blurted out, "Have we…met somewhere before?" The other's breath hitched, and Asta could hear him try in vain to reply. A large part of Asta wanted leave since the static in his head was becoming painfully loud, and he hoped that by leaving it would grow silent. But…

Even if he and Yuno had their differences in the past, he couldn't just leave the broken boy before him. Ignoring the static screeching in his head, Asta knelt down in front of the other. Despite the fact that Yuno was taller than him, in their current positions, Asta managed to pull Yuno's head to his chest and tucked it under his chin. The other boy froze for a moment, before his shaking increased tenfold. He snaked his arms around Asta's midsection and squeezed him so tightly that seemed like Asta was the only thing keeping Yuno from shattering completely. Despite this, he could feel no tears coming from Yuno.

Slowly, Asta began to rub soothing circles on his back as he tried to calm Yuno down in the same manner that Sister Lily had done for Asta and the little ones wherever they gotten upset. The other pressed into Asta more and soaked up the affection like rain after a drought. He wondered quietly when the last time Yuno even had received affection.

Asta didn't really know how long they had stayed like that, whether it was a couple minutes or hours. When Yuno's trembling started to die down, Asta began to pull back despite the weak protesting from said boy, who seemed was too exhausted to fight it. "Let's go back home," Asta told him as he helped Yuno up and let the taller boy lean against him.

"W-Wait," Yuno whispered while his voice still wavered as he tried to steady himself. He seemed to force himself to look at Asta. "A-are you giving up on Noelle Silva?" He asked before pleading upon seeing the unchanging expression on Asta's face, "I-It's too late for her. You're only going to wind up getting k-killed."

Asta smiled sadly as he shook his head. Even though Yuno's comments bothered him, they lacked the usual sharp edges. If anything, they sounded like the other's last ties with sanity as he tried so hard to get Asta to understand what he was saying. Only Asta didn't. "I'm sorry," He said softly in return, "I know I don't have the same powers as the rest of you." Looking forward, Asta finished with, "But, not giving up is the only magic I have." He could have sworn he felt Yuno's breath hitch at his words.

* * *

They got home when everyone else, even Father Ofai, had already gone to bed. Asta was sure he was going to get a lecture in the morning about staying out so late. Maybe Yuno would get the same lecture, if they could catch him in time that is. Speaking of Yuno.

The taller boy had remained silent their entire walk home. Perhaps he was as emotionally drained as the amount Asta was of late. Despite this, the other had refused to let go of Asta. Even now, he was still leaning against Asta for support. And every time Asta had moved just out of reach, he _swore_ he could almost feel the waves of hidden panic Yuno would emit. He had even reached down and grasped Asta's wrist to prevent him from going too far away. But the other boy didn't seem aware of his own actions. His eyes had taken on a glazed sheen and was lost to a world beyond Asta's comprehension. A feeling inside Asta whispered that he did know what world Yuno was lost in, he just didn't want to remember it.

Only when they reached their respective rooms did Yuno pull away from Asta gently. It looked like it was the hardest thing he had done while the raw pain in his eyes made little sense to Asta. Yuno went into his own room without a word to Asta, and the boy heard the other's door click locked. He stared at the closed door for a moment, a reverse of what usually happened at night between the two of them. Then he went to his own room and dreamed a bitter memory.

* * *

 _It reminded him of Frankenstein's monster. Its stitched skin was as pale as a corpse and wore a ghastly crown of snow-white locks that ran down its spiked spine. It had four arms and two legs, with each palm holding a blood-red cross that lay embedded in the center. A lizard-like tail could be seen behind it, sweeping back and forth. Two dark, bat-like wings, whose edges were ripped and jagged, sprouted out of its large, crimson-stained torso. Dual horns hugged its head, and streams of, what seemed like, blood flowed from its three eyes into a crooked grin that housed large, serrated teeth. Behind its body, a ring of fire burned and casted a hellish halo_ _._

 _Aching from its attack, Asta watched in shock as Charmy took a hit for him. She had been fighting to the bitter end, with a body covered in wounds to prove it. The last attack, though, shattered her soul gem on her headband and cut her off from her power. As her body transformed back mid-fall, Asta caught her but found to his sorrow that she was dead. He supposed a human couldn't have survived an attack like that._

 _He brought his Magical Knight teacher's body to where Yuno was watching in horror and carefully laid down her on the ground. He knelt down and arranged her form, so that her eyes were closed with her hands were clasped over her stomach in a prayer – the best proper funeral pose he could give his dear friend under the situation. He hoped she was still with him in spirit, not leaving until the fight was over, giving him strength. Behind him, he felt Walpurgisnacht causing more destruction and mayhem._

 _Ahead of him, he saw Yuno with tears running down the other's face as he gazed at Charmy. Asta smiled to himself grimly. If he had more time, he would have liked to have spent it with him. The other boy had become so dear to him these past couple months that they had spent together. But in order for Yuno, for his family, for their Clover City to have a future, Asta knew what must be done. Rising up, he stood and said to Yuno, "I better get going now."_

" _But," Yuno gasped as his voice shook, "Miss Pappitson just got killed."_

" _That's why I have to go," Asta insisted as he tried to keep his tone even. Turning to look at the Demon, Asta added, "I'm the only one left who can stop Walpurgisnacht."_

" _But it's impossible! No one could beat that thing alone!" Yuno exclaimed as desperation seeped into his tone, "You'll just be killed, too!" They both knew that._

" _Even so," Asta replied, "I'm a Magical Knight." Tightening his hands into fists to hold on to the last bits of courage he still felt, he pressed, "I have to protect everyone." 'I have to protect you' went unspoken._

" _Listen," Yuno begged in a last-ditch attempt to persuade him, "Let's just run away." Asta could hear the tears in his voice. "There's nothing we can do," The other cried, "No one would blame you." Turning away from Walpurgisnacht, Asta walked over to him._

 _Hugging the shaking boy in his arms, Asta called his name softly as he tucked the other's head under his chin. "I'm really glad I became friends with you," Asta whispered while trying to convey all the things he had to leave unsaid in his actions. "Even now, the fact we were there in time to save you from that Demon," He admitted happily, "It was one of my proudest accomplishment." Soul Gem beginning to blaze from within, he continued, "That's why, I'm glad in the end I chose to be a Magical Knight." Pulling back from the hug, Asta pressed his lips to Yuno's forehead in a silent blessing of good luck._

" _Mister Kaname," Yuno said as his eyes shined with fresh tears. Asta smiled again. Ah, he would have liked to hear Yuno call him by his first name too. In his final moments, so many things, wants and desires, he didn't think of before were coming to him now. Fate really was strange._

" _Good-bye, Yuno," Asta murmured as he stood up. He could see the despair gathering in Yuno's gaze – the same look that begged him to stay and run away, to stay alive. He could only hope someday Yuno's eyes would be filled with joy again, and that he would have a nice future. Taking a couple steps back, with his eyes not wanting to leave Yuno's until the very end, Asta said his final words to his dear friend. "Remember," Asta called out, "Not giving up is our magic."_

 _Ignoring the heart-wrenching cries and screams from Yuno, he turned around and launched himself towards Walpurgisnacht. His Soul Gem cracked as he summoned up all the magic he had in his body to create a grand bow. The sword arrow it held shone as bright as the sun as if it was the very light of hope for the future. Releasing it at Demon, he smiled as his Soul Gem shattered. Just before everything went dark, he saw the Demon explode into dust. He had done it. They won. The last thought that crossed his mind was: Take care, Yuno._


	7. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 7

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

It was twilight by the time Kahona and Asta reached Noelle's labyrinth near Clover City docks on the day they decided their plan should take effect. For a newly hatched demon, she had moved territories pretty fast. Yet the bay around them seemed undisturbed, waves crashing against the concrete structure they were walking on from time to time.

Briefly, Asta wondered if Yuno had noticed his absence by now. He always seemed to be one step of ahead of Asta, after all. Perhaps he would have been willing to help if Asta had explained the plan to him. He wondered if he should ask Kahona, seeing as they seemed to know each other for the most part.

"Do you think we should have included Yuno?"

Kahona popped an ear-bud out and hummed in contemplation. Looking back at Asta, she answered, "Nah, he's not that kind of person."

"Aren't you two friends?"

"Not really. More like our goals, at the time, aligned," she replied, twirling the headphone as she directed her attention ahead once more. "We teamed up to beat enemies we couldn't take on alone," she clarified after a moment, "Demon or otherwise." She looked towards Clover City. "A few days from now, 'Walpurgisnacht' will be coming to this town," she stated. Asta blinked wondering why he hadn't heard that name before now except in his dreams.

"Walpurgis…" he tried to say.

"It's an insanely huge and powerful demon," Kahona explained, "To be honest, neither of us could beat it alone." Glancing at Asta through the corner of her eye, she added, "That's why we decided to team up." Letting out a puff of air, she concluded, "That's usually how it is." They walked in silence a bit more along the docks until Kahona's soul gem glowed from her necklace.

They stood in front of a chained door to an abandoned warehouse by it's appearance. In a flash of red, Kahona transformed into her Magical Knight self. "This is it," she said to Asta, "Ready?" Seeing him nod, Kahona summoned a sonic boom from her grimoire to break the chains apart. They carefully made their way through the warehouse and up to a metal walkway.

"You're sure this is Noelle?"

"The magic patterns are the same as yesterday. No doubt, it's her."

They came to the end of the walkway where Kahona threw two music notes at the wall with a spray-painted seashell on it. "Let me ask you again," she said to Asta, "Are you sure you're ready for this?" Asta smiled and laughed lightly.

"I'm used to this already," he replied. Looking at the wall where the music notes were stabbed into, Asta continued, "All I've ever been able to do it trail along behind others." His hands tightened into fists. "I've wasn't able to help Noelle at all," he admitted, remembering their last conversation together. He turned back to Kahona. "But even still," he exclaimed, "I've come too far to just give up! Please take me with you!"

"You really are an odd one, aren't you?" Kahona asked smiling, "Always have to be loud too, huh?" Had none of this happened, Asta could see Kahona and him being good friends. Maybe in a different life. Her grimoire glowed as the music notes exploded and opened up the demon portal.

* * *

This labyrinth reminded Asta of the inside of Noelle's house, except it appeared to be a single reoccurring hallway. Cracked pictures showing a blurred-out family lined the walls with the face of the youngest member, judging by their size, cut out. Each photo held a new scene as the girl aged, but each one showed the little girl becoming unhappier and unhappier.

"Kahona?"

"Hmm?"

"I haven't been able to use magic and fight like you and Noelle did, even though I held the means to make a contract multiple times. Does that make me a coward?"

"After everything, why would you ever want to become a Magical Knight?"

"'Why?'…"

Kahona stopped walking and turned back towards him. "Don't underestimate it," Kahona stated, "This isn't a job just anyone can do." Before Asta could object, Kahona continued. "If you get to eat good food every day and live a happy life with your family," she asked him, "Why would you give it all up to become a Magical Knight on some stupid whim?" Asta looked down. "I'd never allow that to happen," she told Asta plainly, "I'd beat you up first." Her words sounded like Charmy's and Yuno's advise rolled into one, making a stab of guilt hit Asta in the gut.

"I mean, putting your life in danger," she explained, "Only people who've don't have any other choice should do that." Twirling her hair, she added, "Anyone else would just be moronic, playing around like that." Asta's fingers tightened into fists, once more. "But maybe," Kahona said, grabbing his attention again, "There'll come a time when you have no choice but to risk your life and fight." Her face smoothed into a kinder expression. "You should wait until then to think about it," she added as she turned around with Asta at her heels.

When they reached the end of the hallway, they opened the doors to find a room full of dynamic crosses, lining the walkway like a graveyard. In each cross, what appeared to be a memory of Noelle's was playing like a film. Briefly, Asta could see himself and Kahona. Then the doors slammed shut, and everything went dark. "She knows we're coming," Kahona announced as both Asta and Kahona were propelled to the labyrinth's lair. The lair welcomed them in a flash of bright light.

Asta and Kahona appeared to be in a child's room. The walls lined with a misty mimicry of animal wall paper depicting eagles. Crosses that carried three main silhouettes littered the ground with silvery eagles, almost mercury in colr, perched on them. In the center of the room was a clam-shaped like bed was surrounded in water, with multiple underlings appearing as torn-up toy rabbits danced around at its feet. On the center of the bed, a demon taking the shape of deep-blue sea-dragon laid with clovers as scales. The demon saw them and let out a painful roar.

"Ready?" Kahona asked as her grimoire sparkled, "Do just as we planned." Asta nodded and began. He took a step towards the dragon.

"Noelle!" he called out as loud as he could muster, "It's me! 'Dorksta!'" The serpent gave no sign of understanding her as it began to rise like a cobra coiling to strike. Undeterred, Asta persisted. "Can you hear me?!" he hollered, "Do you recognize my voice?!" The beast let out a roar and summoned some of the eagles. They circled above them, creating a storm-cloud of feathers.

"Don't give up!" Kahona commanded as she rushed in front to defend, "Keep calling to her!" A familiar barrier of music notes surrounded him.

"Noelle, please stop!"

Kahona gripped her grimoire fiercely as she watched the circling eagles.

"Please remember!"

The Sea-Dragon's water shield fell as the beast rose from its bed.

"I know you never wanted to hurt anyone, Noelle!"

Several eagles began to swoop down.

"You wanted to fight for justice, didn't you? Like Charmy?"

The demon coiled itself around the room, trapping them.

"Please, Noelle! Go back to your old self!"

Kahona defended against several eagles, using sonic booms to redirect them. But they kept getting closer and closer with each passing attack. "There should be a limit to how stubborn you are, Noelle!" Kahona shouted as she narrowly dodged an eagle's talons. The beast let out another roar, and suddenly the eagles turned into an acid thunderstorm with feather raining down like knives. The sound barrier broke, and in the mist, Asta could see Kahona clutching her side.

"I'm fine," she panted, "I'm not even breaking a sweat yet." She took a deep breath and re-summoned the sound barrier. "Keep calling out to Noelle," she told him. Asta could only watch as Noelle's demon sent out wave after wave of attacks, hitting Kahona harder each time.

"Noelle, stop! Please just recognize us!"

After a particularly hard hit to the neck that nicked her soul gem, Kahona laughed humorlessly. "I get it," she wheezed, "This is payback, isn't it?" As she got barraged with another assault of sharped feathers, she murmured, "For the first time we met? Is that it?" She looked towards Asta who was pounding his fists against the sound barrier.

She focused back on the sea-dragon. To think she had thought Noelle was weak at first. Asta wondered if Noelle was mad that Kahona had even felt that way in the first place. Perhaps it was just too hard for Noelle to let go of past frustrations? He could understand that. "When you've had enough," Kahonna whispered, getting Asta's attention once more, "Come back, okay?" Failing to dodge another eagle, she was slammed back into the barrier and shattered it upon impact. Asta ran up to her in concern.

The serpent's tail whipped towards Kahona, but Asta intercepted it at the last second. Kahona watched in shock as it lifted him up off the ground. Still, he looked towards Noelle with compassion even as his breath was being squeezed from his lungs. "N-Noelle," he wheezed, "Please." Just as he was about to lose consciousness, Kahona cut him free with a sonic wave. He hit the ground in a daze, listening to Kahona's angry cries.

"Didn't you tell me you believed?" she demanded, "That you could use this power to make people happy?" An explosion from another sonic wave rocked the floor, breaking it. As they fell, Asta wondered dizzily if this was the end. His body was still damaged from being a human stress ball. It wouldn't respond fast enough to get him to roll into hitting the ground to minimize the damage.

Cool hands gently reached under his arms and knees, lowering him carefully to the floor. He cracked an eye open and saw a blur of familiar purple. His favorite color. Before he could focus too much on it, Asta heard a light _thump_ ahead of him. "Kahona," he heard Yuno call out softly.

Kahona shakily stood up. "Hey, you," she greeted as cheerfully as she could manage, "Take care of him for me, 'kay?" She clutched her side. "I was an idiot for dragging him into this," she gasped. Thrusting her arm out towards the two of them, a new sound barrier was created. She looked over her shoulder at Yuno. "You said you wouldn't fight when weighed down with a burden, right?" she confirmed. Turning her attention towards Noelle, she stated, "That's fine, and you were right."

"You gotta focus on the one thing that means the most to you," she whispered, "And protect it to the end." Yuno shifted, carefully bringing Asta closer to himself. Kahona giggled at his action. "It's funny," she murmured to Yuno, "All this time that what I thought I was doing." She pulled her ponytail grabbing the pin, clasping it over her soul gem. "Go," she told Yuno, "I'll take care of her." The area around her blazed as speared microphones pieced through the ground.

Yuno stood up, making sure not to jostle Asta. He began to make his way towards the exit. Just before Kahona was out of earshot, Asta heard her faintly say, "This'll be my best performance yet - a duet between you and me, Noelle. Just what I always wanted."

* * *

Yuno had exited the labyrinth just as it collapsed. "Kahona," he muttered looking back at the seashell on the wall like a it was a grave marker. He tightened his grip on Asta ever so slightly before continuing on. The static cleared in Asta's head as it unraveled a hidden memory before exhaustion could take him.

* * *

 _Noelle was gone, and it felt like the world exploded with her. Asta watched the labyrinth disappear, too numb to move. He fell to his knees, tears dripping down his face. Demons. Yuno was right all those weeks ago. Magical Knights became demons, and Noelle just died as one. The proof was the chaos jewel in his hand. Distantly, he heard Kahona cry Noelle's name. "Dammit," Asta whispered, his voice sounding warped to his own ears, "How could this happen?" A new wave of tears ran down his face._

 _"It's horrible," Kahona sobbed behind him, "This isn't right!"_

 _Suddenly, Asta felt Charmy's magic activate and heard Yuno's startled gasp. The sound of her cotton sheep gun went off, and Asta turned to see Kahona's soul gem shatter. Her final breath left her lungs, and she fell to the ground lifeless as her body returned to a human corpse. Seeing that, Yuno struggled against his restraints._

 _"Miss Pappitson?!"_

 _Charmy was shaking, pointing her grimoire at Yuno. Asta could hear imagine tears running down her face as her voice wavered. She took a shaky breath, before hysterically exclaiming, "If soul gems give birth to demons, then we have no choice but to die, don't we?!"_

 _Asta could feel despair plucking at his heart at her words. Charmy who felt that fighting demons was her only purpose after having lost everything to the accident that made her a Magical Knight. Charmy who had learned to be a Magical Knight after having the job thrust upon her without choice. Charmy who had been his mentor and close friend these past months. Upon hearing those words, Asta knew there was no way he could talk her down. She would kill them all and herself. More tears streamed down his face as he summoned his bow as silently as he could._

" _You and me!" Charmy screamed._

 _Asta let loose a sword arrow aimed at her soul gem._

" _S-stop!" Yuno cried desperately at Charmy._

 _The arrow connected with the gem and shattered it._

 _For a heart stopping second, Asta thought he had failed as he heard the cotton gun go off. But the sheep bullet vanished just before it could hit Yuno as Charmy's magic vanished with her death, leaving only a cloud of dust behind._

" _I don't want this," Asta blurted out, the words tumbling from his mouth. For once in his life, the words "give up" echoed in his head as his bow dispelled. "I can't take any more of this," he whispered in pain. He had just lost two of his closest friends, murdering one of them by his own hands. He had almost lost Yuno. It was too much. He buried his head in his hands, tears streaming through his fingers._

 _He heard Yuno's footsteps approach him, but he didn't look up. He saw Yuno kneel in front of him from the corner of his eye. He hugged Asta to his chest. "It's okay," Yuno tried to soothe, "The two of us will keep going by ourselves." Asta wondered how he could be so strong after all that had happened in these few hours. "We'll beat Walpurgisnacht," Yuno exclaimed, trying to convince him, "Just the two of us!" He tightened his hold on Asta, as if to prevent himself from shaking. "After all," Yuno told him, "Not giving up is our magic."_

 _Asta thought back to Noelle, Charmy, and Kahona. They had all become Magical Knights and died. They had all done so, at one point or another, to protect the people they cared about. To make a miracle happen. Before today, all of them had been making plans to stop Walpurgisnacht, to save their Clover City. Didn't Asta owe it to them? To see their last mission as Magical Knights through? Asta tightened his grip on Noelle's chaos jewel hidden in his hand._

 _And Yuno. Yuno would mostly fight Walpurgisnacht on his own if Asta refused. That was a death sentence as itself. He couldn't do it, not to him. "Okay," Asta whispered, pulling back to look Yuno in the eyes. He wouldn't abandon Yuno to fight alone. The teary, relieved smile that Yuno gave him told Asta all that Yuno didn't say._

* * *

Yuno sat on the center ring of cushions in his room that resembled the interior workings of a clock, staring at the table in front of him. The encyclopedia of witches he had carefully crafted still cycled through to his left, no doubt having taken so much time to gather and complete. The entries were focused more on Walpurgisnacht's status now. A map of the city with red dots around a couple of locations lay splayed out ahead of him. The gears clinking above, casting shadow pendulums that swung above him. Asta was laid beside him with his head on Yuno's lap, resting and recovering from the final confrontation involving Noelle and Kahona. Yuno unconsciously traced patterns through Asta's hair with his fingers, adjusting his headband from to time, as he seemed to wait for what conversation he knew was coming up. Nero appeared on the table in front of him.

"Could Kahona Sakura really have saved Noelle Silva?"

"Of course not. She should have known it was impossible from the start."

"Then why didn't you stop her?"

"Naturally, I would have stopped her if her death had been needless," Nero stated, "But getting her out of the picture served a very important purpose." Yuno's hand stilled. "Because now," the bird elaborated, "There is no one left but you to battle Walpurgisnacht." Yuno looked down at the boy in his lap. "You have no chance of beating him alone," the incubator told Yuno, "In order to protect this city, there is no choice but for Asta to become a Magical Knight." For the first time in their conversation, Yuno looked at Nero.

"I won't let that happen," he swore. The incubator vanished from the room, leaving Yuno alone with his thoughts. Asta twitched, and Yuno carded his hand through Asta's hair again to settle him. Yuno gently brushed some unruly bangs off Asta's forehead with his free hand. The same hand then cupped Asta's cheek, stroking tenderly with his thumb. "I won't let that happen," he vowed to Asta quietly. Shifting slightly, Yuno bent down and brushed his lips against Asta's temple. "I swear it," he promised. Had Yuno not been so lost in thought, he would have noticed that Asta was blushing and that he had been awake for a while. Through his closed eyes, a forgotten memory rose to the surface.

* * *

 _Asta watched Charmy examine the barrel that just one second ago had not been smashed. Yuno was sitting on some stacked logs nearby, panting slightly. He was surprised to see the boy had a soul gem in class. He was even more surprised when the boy came up after school, acting like he knew Asta. "What do you think, Charmy?" he asked his mentor._

 _"Time magic," Charmy hummed, "Incredible, but it'll be tricky to learn how to fight with it."_

 _"Right," Yuno sighed, seemingly deterred by that fact. For some reason, Asta couldn't stand that expression on his face though. A tiny feeling nagged at his chest, but Asta ignored it. Walking over, he slung one arm around Yuno's shoulders._

 _"Don't give up! I'm sure you'll find a way!" He exclaimed. Snapping his fingers, he added, "Tell you what, Yuno. From this day on, we'll be rivals!" When Yuno gave him a confused sideways glance, Asta clarified, "That means I see you as someone worthy enough to be my equal." Smiling, he finished with, "So as my rival, that means it's your job to find a way. I know you can." Yuno didn't reply, but Asta could see a determined flame ignite in his eyes._

 _Later at home, Asta could see the light from Yuno's room shining long into the night._


	8. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 8

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

Yuno sat in his room with Asta for quite some time as the other seemed to sort out his thoughts. Asta, both out of a sense of embarrassment and not wanting to disturb the other, stayed silent and pretended to sleep. Since he was such a great actor, he ended up fooling himself. Under Yuno's gentle touches, he was lulled into a light sleep as he dreamed of another time and place. He only woke, stirring slightly, when Yuno had moved to pick him up gently bridal style again. Had he been more awake, he might have protested at being treated like a princess.

When Yuno was sure he wouldn't jostle Asta anymore than he probably had to, he left his room and crossed over to Asta's. Asta felt himself being lowered into his bed as Yuno pulled the covers over him. He brushed the hair from Asta's face one last time, his hand lingering a bit longer than necessary. Then he left nearly soundless except for the closing of two doors, leaving Asta to listen to the pouring rain outside.

* * *

Asta returned the umbrella to its holder as Sister Lily and Father Ofai welcomed him home from Noelle's funeral. They didn't question him, sensing that everyone else at the funeral had. He had denied knowing anything with tears in his eyes while he gazed at Noelle's still form one last time. The funeral had sunken everything in for him and made all his friends' deaths more tangible to him. For Charmy and Kahono, whose bodies were lost to the labyrinths they perished in, there was no funerals. In time, his memories could blur to the point it seemed they hadn't existed at all as they left no proof in their wake. But Noelle's changed that. There was a record of her death, and, in turn, that record proved the other two existed. Wanting to be alone, Asta headed to his room.

"Kahono and Noelle are dead," he whispered the cruel truth to himself as he flopped on his bed.

"That's not an unexpected outcome," A devilishly familiar voice spoke in monotone, "The signs were there for a while." Sitting up, Asta faced Nero who was perched at the end of his bed.

"So, you're saying you don't care, then?" Asta challenged, "Even though you're somewhat to blame for their deaths?" The bird sighed, expression unchanging.

"Then, for example," The bird retorted, "Do you feel responsible for the deaths of livestock?" As Asta lowered his guard in confusion, the bird continued, "Do you ever think about the process by which they become food for you?" Asta gasped as they made eye contact, with his own eyes turning red. Nero showed him images of pigs and chickens being butchered in the same indifferent fashion that incubators observed humanity. Asta shook his head in shock and broke eye contact as he tried to cover his face from seeing the twisted images. The bird sighed once more and told him, "That's not a rational reaction." If the incubator could express disappointment, Asta thought it would. "If you think those scenes are cruel," Nero told him, "Then you're missing the big picture completely."

Nero forced Asta to meet its eyes contact once more, transferring an image of cows. The incubator's sight made the vision appear like pictures from a story book. "Livestock are fed and provided for all their lives," Nero said, "And given equal chance to reproduce free from natural selection." Adding to that as the images changed, Nero continued, "Cows, chickens, and pigs have an overwhelmingly higher rate of survival in captivity than in the wild." Without pause, the incubator asked, "Isn't that a rather ideal, mutually beneficial relationship for you both?" Breaking contact, the scene faded like mist. Asta was too stunned to move.

"Are you saying it's the same between you and us?"

"On the contrary, our treatment of humankind is more respectful than your treatment of livestock," The bird chirped before admitting, "Perhaps it isn't perfect, but we do acknowledge your species as sentient and try to deal fairly with you." Upon seeing no reaction, the creature asked, "You can't believe that?" Upon receiving no answer still, it continued, "Then shall I show it to you? The history spent together by mankind and Incubators?"

New images spanning beyond comprehension, like watching the universe unravel, ran through his mind like a raging river. He could see all the eras of history span before him starting at the very beginning, the caveman era. "We have intervened in civilization's development since prehistoric times," Nero's voice echoed in his mind, "Countless children throughout time have made contracts with Incubators, had their wishes granted, and then ultimately succumbed to despair." An image of the great pyramids and of a child making a contract. That child becoming a ruler. That child dying by their own hand. Asta gasped, but Nero's "lesson" continued.

"Beginning with a hope and ending with a curse, that is the cycle that countless Magical Knights have repeated to this day."

Contract. Wish. Death.

"There are some who have wrought revolutions that changed history, or elevated human society to new stages of development."

Rinse. Dry. Repeat.

Asta couldn't take it. Watching countless people make wishes, only to be betrayed and die in the end. The static in his mind was screaming. He curled into a ball, trying to hide from all the painful images.

"Stop it!" he exclaimed, "They all trusted you, and you betrayed them!"

"It wasn't we who betrayed them, but their own wishes that did. After all, anything that doesn't match reality is bound to create a distortion. So why is it surprising that these things always end in disaster?"

Something in him was snapping. Pushing past the static.

"If they considered such a natural outcome to be a 'betrayal,' they were wrong to have made wishes at all."

Asta lowered his hands. He couldn't tell what it was, but the rain echoed loudly in his ears.

"I don't think of them as foolish though. After all, it was thanks to their sacrifices that human society has developed as far as it has."

His breath was leaving his body too fast. Was his heart still beating?

"All the tears shed throughout history have laid the foundations of the life you have now."

A tear of his own slipped past his eye as Asta looked at his hand. Why did he feel a phantom sensation of warmth, like someone was holding his hand?

"If you understand now, why do you still hold the fates of a few individuals to be so precious?"

Asta opened his mouth and asked Nero, "After all the time you spent watching over those children, do you really feel nothing for them at all?" He could see Charmy, Kahono, Noelle, and Yuno over and over in his mind. But the pieces didn't align quite right. They never seemed to. "Did you never try and understand how much they were suffering?" he wondered.

"If we had the capacity to comprehend such things, we wouldn't have had to come to your planet in the first place," Nero explained, "In our society, the phenomenon known as 'emotion' is only considered a mental disease."

A boy building up his mental walls piece by piece, having listened to the incubator countless times.

Adding to its previous thought, Nero continued, "That's why, when we discovered humankind, we were quite surprised. We never imagined a world could exist in which every individual had its own set of emotions and still somehow managed to coexist with each other." If Asta didn't know better, he'd say Nero sounded impressed.

"So, if you never had come to Earth…"

"Most likely, you would all still be living naked in caves."

"I see…"

Perhaps it was done saying its piece or it had sensed the shift in Asta's mood, but Nero faded from his presence. The static hadn't died down, but Asta could now see a single form in the haze that reoccurred over and over. Shifting, he slid off his bed and to his door. He needed to see Yuno.

* * *

Asta knocked on the door directly ahead of his for the first time, though it didn't feel like it. Yuno opened it, eyes widening as he recognized Asta's form. He made a "come in" gesture and retreated back. Asta walked inside and closed the door. The room appeared as it had the last time he had been here, right after Kahono's and Noelle's deaths. Yuno stood ahead, parallel to Asta's spot, the center ring of cushions and table separating them. Yuno wasn't facing him though and seemed determined to face the candles away from the wall displaying information on a particular creature. The static in Asta's head hummed.

"Is that Walpurgisnacht?" he asked distracted, looking at a hauntingly familiar form in pictures cycling through the wall he had seen in his dreams several times now. "Kahono told me about it and about you two teaming up," he added while leaving out that he shouldn't be as familiar with it as he felt. "A demon so strong that no person could beat it alone," he murmured, the words feeling like they had been on his tongue thousands of times. Trying to break through the haze he felt, he turned his gaze to Yuno. "So, you've been preparing for that all this time?" he asked, remembering countless days where Yuno's room stayed lit even in the dead of night. Yuno looked over his shoulder at him, and Asta wanted to wince at the expression Yuno gave him. Pressing on, he questioned, "Will the city be in danger?" Another phrase that left his mouth so easily. He couldn't help but flashback to Charmy and Noelle, each beaming respectively with pride as they talked about protecting the people of this city.

"Unlike other demons you've seen," Yuno said, finally speaking, "This one is powerful enough that it doesn't need to hide in a labyrinth." Continuing on without a hint of change in composure, he added, "If it manifests even once, thousands will die." Like they were discussing the weather, Yuno said, "Since ordinary humans can't see it, they'll think the destruction was caused by an earthquake, tornado, or some other disaster."

"Then it absolutely has to be defeated, right?"

Yuno turned to face him fully on his words, closing his eyes in what seemed like either contemplation or pain.

"Now that Kahono's…dead too, you're the only Magical Knight left that can fight it."

Hadn't he said those words to himself once, a long time ago?

"I can do it on my own," Yuno cut in, his tone leaving no room for arguments, "While Kahono Sakura, Noelle Silva, or Charmy Pappitson couldn't have defeated Walpurgisnacht on their own, I can." He shifted away from Asta again and said, like an afterthought, "I actually never needed her help." Pausing slightly, he added, "I just agreed so she wouldn't lose face."

"Honestly…?" Asta pressed skeptically, but Yuno wouldn't answer him. Asta took a couple steps forward. The static buzzing louder in his ears. "I don't know why I really want to believe you, Yuno," Asta admitted, "That I don't want to think you're lying." He covered part of his face with his hand, static making his vision blur. "And yet," he whispered as the words tumbled out, "I just can't believe you're really going to be all right." Shaking his head slowly, trying to make the buzzing stop, he repeated, "I can't believe you when you say it's true." Yuno twitched like Asta had punched him.

"How can I tell you what I'm really feeling?"

"Yuno…?"

"After all…I'm…"

Yuno was shaking slightly as he tried to finish his sentence. "I'm not," he whispered before apparently deciding to bite the bullet. He turned back to Asta and cried out, "I'm not even living in the same time as you!" Those words must have broken the dam in Yuno completely because next thing Asta knows, the other had tackled him into a hug. They landed, sprawled out, on the floor with Yuno keeping him pinned to the ground. He hid his face in Asta's shoulder and squeezed him like he did at the park all that while ago, like Asta was the one thing keeping him together. Asta's eyes widened as the static barrier broke inside his head. A memory that wasn't his played in his mind, and all the puzzle pieces in his head connected together.

* * *

 _They lay there, two broken bodies on the ground, in the shallow bay water. Their arms intersected closely between them as their hands that held their blackened soul gems lay side by side. Rain was pouring all around them, soaking them further, but Asta couldn't feel it anymore. It wouldn't be long before he turned into a Demon like Noelle. But he wouldn't let the same happen to Yuno._

 _"I guess," Asta whispered slowly, trying to get the words out as he turned his head to look at the other, "This is the end for us too." This was end of his and Yuno's time together. At least, this version of him if his plan worked. His face slipped into a fond expression. Either way, he was going to miss him._

 _Yuno looked back at him and gave him an exhausted smile, amber eyes warm as they met his. Even with his glasses cracked from the battle and a body littered with wounds, he was still as tragically beautiful and handsome as he'd always been to Asta. Yuno took a painful breath before forcing out, "You don't have any more chaos jewels…?"_

 _Asta couldn't look Yuno in the face as he lied so he shifted his head upwards at the stormy sky. He couldn't find it in his voice to lie either, so he slowly shook his head "no." Part of him felt guilty, but Asta knew that Yuno wouldn't have accepted the chaos jewel if he had known Asta had a chance to use it instead. That's just how selfless Yuno could be._

 _"I see," Yuno breathed out as he smiled and turned his own head to look up at the sky. He closed his eyes, and Asta turned back towards Yuno. Making sure Yuno wasn't watching him, Asta used the last bit of his magic to summon Noelle's chaos jewel in his other hand. Even though Yuno and Noelle had their differences in the past, he hoped she wouldn't be mad at him in the afterlife for saving Yuno._

 _"Listen," Yuno whispered, "How about the two of us become monsters?" He took a shaky breath and continued, "And really mess up this whole, awful world, huh?" As Asta rolled on his entire side towards Yuno, it pained his heart to hear the other say that. True, the world was awful at times, but there were good things about it too. He was looking at one._

 _"Until there's no more evil, no more sadness," Yuno murmured, "Nothing left at all." A tear slipped down his face. "Let's just break, break, break it all to dust…!" He exclaimed. Taking another breath as an additional tear once more fell down his cheek, he asked with a wavering voice, "Don't you think…that would be great?" His expression betraying his words. He didn't want to die and become a Demon either._

 _Asta brought the chaos jewel to Yuno's soul gem with a light_ clink _, cradling them together between Yuno' s and his palms. He heard the other gasp, no doubt feeling the cleansing effects, and turned wide-eyed to Asta. Asta closed his eyes with gentle laugh, not wanting to show the pain in his soul gem was beginning to create in his eyes. So instead he smiled and said softly, "Looks like I still had one left, after all." Not wanting Yuno to feel guiltier than he probably was, Asta excluded to mention it was Noelle's._

 _"No! Why would you…?" Yuno questioned, failing to understand, "On me?!" He rolled his body toward Asta. He cupped Asta's hand with his free one, cradling it between both of his own. His expression was split between desperately trying to comprehend what was happening and concern for Asta._

 _"Because I want to ask you to do something that only you can do," Asta finally answered. "Yuno," he confirmed, "You can go back in time, right?" The other had once explained it to him that as long as his grimoire had pages to flip, he could stop time. But once all the pages were gone, Yuno wouldn't be to able freeze time anymore in exchange for one special ability. "You can change history, so that it won't end up like this, right?" Asta added, vainly trying to keep his voice from breaking. Recounting the 'pages,' he would go back in time to the beginning of his 'book' and restart time anew. And Asta knew Yuno had used up all his pages in their last battle together._

 _"Yeah…" came back Yuno's broken reply._

 _"Then would you," Asta asked as the pain receded back enough for him to open his eyes without showing Yuno the true agony he was feeling, "Go back and save the stupid me before I get tricked by Nero?" He didn't want his time with everyone, with Yuno, to end. But the only way he could see having a future with them was if he never became a Magical Knight in the first place. A few tears escaped his eyes, despite his best to hold them in._

 _Yuno gripped his hand tighter. "I swear it!" Yuno vowed as he himself began to cry again, "I promise I'll save you!" Raising his voice as if to show Asta his determination, he added, "No matter how many times I have to go back and try!" Focusing on Asta, he finished with, "I swear, I'll protect you!"_

 _Didn't Yuno know he already did that? Asta couldn't count the number of times Yuno had saved him. He wondered if he had expressed gratitude to the other enough for it. It didn't feel like it so Asta whispered, "Thank you." He didn't know if Yuno caught his full meaning, but he hoped he would. Asta's soul gem flared as Asta felt it crack._

 _Remembering Yuno's story of Asta becoming a Demon, back when he was telling them that Nero had tricked them all, Asta tried to damper his cries of pain. He didn't want to become a Demon, and he didn't want Yuno to see him become a monster again either. There was only one way to fix that, one selfish way._

" _Can I ask you," He gasped out, "For one more thing…?" Yuno's eyes widen before he began to cry more. It seems he knew what Asta was about to ask, but Asta had to confirm it. "I don't want," He whispered, "To become a Demon." Yuno had recovered enough to sit up at this point and was now hovering over him, gazing down at him with such sorrow. Asta wished he could have wiped those tears away. But more than that…_

" _There are awful, sad things in this world," Asta told him, making sure to maintain eye contact even as his words came out slower and slower, "But there are…lots of things…worth protecting too." He wanted to tell Yuno that he was one of those things, that he didn't want Yuno to give up on the world. But he didn't have the energy to anymore._

" _Asta!" Yuno sobbed above him. This was the first time Yuno had called him by his first name. A small part of him felt lighter in an ironic sort of way. He had always wanted to hear him say it. Wanting to convey that to Yuno, he summoned the last bits of his strength._

" _Yuno," he rasped out, "You…finally called me…by my first name…" His time was ending, he knew this. A couple more tears fell from his eyes. But he could go peacefully with the knowledge he had died by Yuno's side, even if he didn't want to leave him like this. Slowly, he raised his hand with his soul gem in it. "I'm so…happy," he whispered and felt Yuno's magic as the other transformed into his Magical Knight form._

 _He begged fate as Yuno grabbed his gun._

Please, let us meet again and be together once more.

 _Yuno pointed it at his soul gem._

Please, let us find our happy ending.

 _With an anguished scream, Yuno pulled the triggered, and Asta had one last thought before he thought no more._

Please, don't let Yuno lose hope.

* * *

"You see," Yuno whispered against him slowly, "I'm from the future." Asta could feel tears from the other beginning to soak his shirt. "I've met you over and over," he admitted as his voice wavered slightly, "And each and every time, I've had to watch you die."

Tightening his hold on Asta like the boy in his arms would disappear the moment he let go, Yuno wondered out loud, "What do I have to do to save you?" Trembling slightly, he continued, "What do I have to do to change your fate?" Asta laid motionless, processing everything Yuno was saying and the memories filling his head. "Searching just for that answer," Yuno told him, "I've kept redoing these past few months over and over."

Asta wrapped his arms around Yuno at those words, returning his hug gently. "I'm sorry," Yuno whispered, "I'm not making any sense, right?" Asta began to rub gentle circles into his back, trying to soothe the other. "I must seem horribly creepy, right?" Yuno laughed hollowly, the sound muffled by Asta's shirt, "After all, I'm just some transfer student you barely know." Asta missed the light laugh he had heard from Yuno in his distant dreams. It hurt to know he was the reason for that change so Asta tilted his head against Yuno's, trying to make up for a little by giving him some silent support. The words "That's not true" stayed at the tip of his tongue, never leaving. "But to me," Yuno murmured, "To me, you are…" Yuno didn't finish that thought. Behind him, the walls began to reflect the memories Asta saw in his head.

"The more times I redo all of this," Yuno admitted as if it pained him to do so, "The further in time we drift from one another." Burying his face deeper into Asta's shoulder, Yuno pressed on, "Our feelings drift further and further apart, and even my words no longer reach you anymore." Pausing to take a shuddering breath, Yuno whispered, "The truth is, I think I've been lost for a very long time now."

"Yuno…"

"I will save you," Yuno said, repeating the vow from long ago, "That was the feeling that I started with all of this, and now it's the only thing I have left to guide me." Untangling himself from Asta, Yuno looked down at him with tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. He gave him a tired smile that didn't do his true exhaustion justice. "It's okay if you don't understand," he said, "But please…please just let me protect you."

Yuno wiped his eyes on his arm as he moved to let Asta get up, chuckling to himself. "And I said, 'I won't cry anymore,'" Yuno murmured to himself, "I can't even keep that promise." As Asta sat up, Yuno repeated, "Please, let me keep one. Let me protect you." He gave Asta a sad smile and finished with, "After all, not giving up is the magic you showed me."

It was those words that made the truth die on Asta's tongue. Swallowing it like a bitter pill, Asta slowly nodded that seemed to give Yuno some relief. It just added to the guilt festering in Asta's gut. How could he tell Yuno, whose suffering he caused, about what he was planning to do? About going to break the vow between them, a vow he shouldn't remember, himself? Looking at the boy in front of him, broken from chasing an end that might not exist in time loop after time loop, Asta knew the truth would have truly shattered him.


	9. Become a Magical Knight!: Part 9

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

Yuno was gone, no doubt having left to face Walpurgisnacht on his own. Asta had helped Sister Lily and Father Ofai herd the little ones into the shelter. He had lied to them by saying Yuno had been staying at a friend's house and had texted him earlier that he had arrived at another shelter safely. Sister Lily and Asta spread out the green blanket on the floor while Father Ofai returned with a box of supplies. All the children gathered round, with only Nash having his usual scowl on his face.

"Are we going to camp tonight?" One of the little ones asked.

"Tonight," Father Ofai smiled, "We're camping here with everyone!"

"Yay, camping!" Another one chimed.

"Are we barbecuing?" Another asked.

Asta sat down, watching them but not joining in. He tried to brand this memory into his mind, something in him knowing he wouldn't get more if he accomplished what he was planning to do. Another part of him couldn't help but want to believe instead that it truly was a storm. That by the next day, everything would be like it was all those months ago. The building shook slightly, and Asta winced.

"Worried about your boyfriend?" Nash asked, causing Asta to jump.

"What?" Asta said, blinking as he looked up at young boy who stood beside him. Nash rolled his eyes, but he moved to sit down beside Asta. He leaned back on his hands, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Yuno," Nash deadpanned. Asta's heart squeezed and a faint blush dusted his cheeks in embarrassment, but he otherwise didn't say anything. Instead, he chose to turn his head away pointedly, pretending he wasn't pouting. "You're so obvious," Nash told him, "Good thing you'd never play poker because you'd lose every time." The other sighed as he failed to get anything out of Asta, except maybe a glance through the corner of his eye. Scratching his head, Nash looked towards their family.

"Look," Nash said quietly, "I'll distract the others so go do what you gotta do." Asta turned back towards him in surprise. Nash's ears went red as he hastily clarified, "Y-your gloominess is just bringing down the mood, a-and I just don't want to stare at your moping mug all night." Glaring at Asta, Nash got to his feet quickly and said lowly enough so the others wouldn't overhear them, "You know where he is, so just go!" Muttering under his breath, Nash said almost too quietly for Asta to hear, "Be safe."

Asta flashed Nash a grateful smile as he stood as well. He turned to walk towards the door and heard Sister Lily ask Nash where he was going. "To the bathroom," Nash answered sounding annoyed, "At least, we'll get some peace and quiet for a few minutes." Just before Asta left, he risked one last look at his family. Then he smiled sadly to himself and silently wished them goodbye.

* * *

"Nero," Asta called as he went towards the exit. Outside, the storm grew fiercer and casted fierce shadows inside the shelter. One of those shadows that appeared in the window was of a small bird, and the incubator emerged in front of him. "How's Yuno doing?" Asta asked as he walked past Nero, knowing without seeing that it was following him, "Was he telling the truth when he said he could win by himself?"

"Would you even believe me if I told you 'no?'" It responded in return, "At this point, explanations are pointless." Not letting a beat of silence pass between them, Nero continued, "You should go and see for yourself. See how well Yuno Akemi is faring against Walpurgisnacht."

"That was the plan."

"Then why call for me?"

"I wanted to know something," He admitted as he rounded a corner towards the stairs, "If things go badly, he'll restart time, right?" He came upon the stairwell.

"Only while he hasn't yet lost hope."

"And if he has?"

"Then it was only a matter of time. Not that it matters at this point."

Asta risked a glance at the bird as he began to descend down the stairs. "What's that supposed to mean?" He pressed. The incubator glided down to the floor beyond the stairs and landed in front of him.

"After restarting this meaningless chain of events over and over," Nero explained, "It is no longer possible for him to stop or give up." Asta waited for the bird to continue, his mouth twisting into a grimace. "The moment he acknowledges that everything he has done is pointless," The incubator added as it declared, "And that your fate is impossible to change, Yuno Akemi will fall into despair and turn into a chaos jewel." Asta thought back to his conversation with Yuno a couple hours prior. "He knows that as well," the bird finished, "That's why he has no choice. Whether he has any hope of winning or not, Yuno must continue to fight."

Something heavy settled in Asta's chest, confirming what he suspected was true. Still he wanted to be one-hundred percent true that they meant the same thing. "So, you're saying that as long as he continues to hope," He repeated as he reached the bottom of the stairs, "Yuno can't be saved?"

"That's right," Nero answered, "Just as it was for all other Magical Knights in the past." Tilting its head as Asta stared down at it, the incubator asked, "Asta, you saw it all as well, didn't you?" Flashes of the images of past Magical Knights wishing and dying that Nero had shown him resurfaced in his mind. They merged with the memories of Noelle, Charmy, and Kahono. He had to resist the urge to gag.

"I did," he replied as he walked to the door. Outside, in the distance, he could see Walpurgisnacht tearing the city apart, wreckage circling it and cementing its image of destruction. The only reason Asta knew that Yuno was still fighting was because he could see tiny flickers of light attacking the great beast. But then, the demon hurled a building, sending it smashing into another skyscraper. The lights ceased, and Asta's chest tightened.

"Incubator," Asta addressed, "Take me to Yuno. I have my wish."

* * *

The slight dizziness of teleportation was easily forgotten when he saw Yuno's condition. Among the broken pillars lay a broken body with an opened grimoire, pages half turned, thrown a little bit away from him. His forehead was cut open, and blood ran down his face, mixing with tears. One of his legs was trapped under the rubble while the rest of his trembling body was no doubt covered in scrapes and bruises underneath the Magical Knight uniform. His eyes were closed, and Asta could see his soul gem becoming darker and darker with each tear that fell.

A frown made its way onto Asta's face. His dear friend. How much had Asta's selfish request made him suffer? Walking over to him, Asta knelt down and cupped the hand bearing Yuno's gem between his own. The other's eyes flew open and looked at him, as if he was wondering whether Asta was real or not. "That's enough," Asta told him, shaking his head slightly, "You've done more than enough, Yuno."

"Asta…"

Asta smiled before letting go of his hand and standing. This was it. He looked towards Walpurgisnacht, and a determined glare made its way on his face. The monster would be close to flattening half the city at this rate. This would be his final stand. Nero appeared at his feet.

"Asta…You didn't…!"

He heard Yuno's hurt gasp. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Asta turned around and forced a smile on his face. "I'm sorry, Yuno" Asta told him. Sorry he was breaking their promise. But this was the only way Asta could think of freeing Yuno from the chains he had unwittingly put on the boy himself.

"Asta…No…!"

"I finally figured it out," Asta said, forcing himself to ignore the pain he saw in Yuno's eyes, "I found a wish I truly want granted." He focused on the other with a tender smile. Yuno looked like he was trying to will himself to move, but his body wasn't respond the way he wanted it to. "So, I'm going to use my life for it, okay?" he continued.

"Don't…Because, because then, what have I…been fighting for?"

Tears spilled from his eyes, and the thread of self-control in Asta snapped. Walking over to Yuno, careful of his wounds, he drew his precious friend into one last embrace as he tucked Yuno's head under his chin. "I'm sorry," he told Yuno honestly once more with his voice remaining calm, "I'm so sorry." He pulled back enough to look at Yuno's face and saw wide amber eyes looking as confused as the day he used Noelle's chaos jewel on him. How ironic that they happened to be the same day.

He wiped the blood off of the other's forehead gently with his sleeve, not caring that it was getting soaked in crimson. Cupping Yuno's cheek and making sure the other's attention fully was on him, Asta said, "But I believe it's because you've protected me for so, so long that I'm the person I am now." Yuno grasped the hand on his cheek with one of his own weakly, his strength long gone after his fight.

"Won't you believe in the answer," Asta asked him, "That the one you've protected all this time has found?" Yuno looked at him, tears biting at the corner of his eyes. "Not giving up is our magic," he told him, "And so you've given me the strongest magic of all. I swear I won't waste everything that you've done for me, Yuno." Asta smiled fondly at him. "Besides," Asta murmured, "If becoming a Magical Knight saves you, then that would be one of my proudest accomplishments as a Magical Knight." Wiping a few stray tears with his thumb, Asta leaned forward and kissed Yuno's temple. It was his way of giving him a silent goodbye as he untangled himself from the other.

"Asta…"

Asta stood up and turned to face Nero. "Since you're now the central point of karmic destiny from numerous amounts of different timelines," the bird said, "No matter how enormous the wish, you will likely be able to make it come true." Good because his wish just might be big enough to test that theory. "Now, Asta Kaname," Nero said starting the process, "What is the wish that you will pay for with your soul?"

"I wish," Asta said before pausing. This would work. It had to work. Yami's words from what already felt like a lifetime ago came back to him. _"Mr. Destiny, huh?" Yami said, "I hate that bastard's guts." Reaching into his pocket, he fumbled for something. "Who would ever pay attention to him?" he asked as he retrieved a packet of cigarettes, "I'd tear him apart and do whatever I damn well please."_ That's right. Asta would make it work.

Taking a deep breath to settle any remaining nerves, Asta restarted. "I wish," He declared to Nero, "To erase all Demons before they are born! All the Demons in all the universes, both past and future with my own hands!" Asta's chest began to glow a long-forgotten Mountbatten pink. He heard Nero's gasp of amazement, for once catching the incubator off guard.

"That prayer," Nero said in astonishment, "If a prayer like that were granted, it could unravel the fabric of time itself!" Adding as the light began to overtake Asta's form, it continued, "It would go against the very force of karmic destiny!" It gulped as a thought seemed to have occurred to it, no doubt thinking of their past conversation in the park. "Do you truly intend to become a god?" it whispered.

"I don't care what I become," Asta stated as he became a beckon of light in the dark destruction, "King, emperor, god. All those who fought against the Demons, who believed in hope as Magical Knights, I don't want to see them cry." Especially the one behind him. "I want them to be smiling to the very end," he added. Determination sang in his veins as a familiar power grasped his soul, Asta exclaimed "If any rule or law stands in the way of that, I won't give up! I'll destroy it! I'll rewrite it!" The light's strength increased. "That is my prayer," he told Nero, "That is my wish!" The light reached a peak in luminosity. "Now!" Asta commanded, "Grant my wish, incubator!"

And the land was enveloped in a Mountbatten pink glow.

* * *

"Asta," Charmy asked as she brought him a plate of cake, "Do you know how fearsome your wish is?"

Nodding, Asta accepted the plate and said, "I think so."

"It means that for the entirety of the past and future, through time itself," Charmy explained as she sat across the table from him in her apartment, "You will have to continue to fight forevermore." She met his gaze. "In doing so," She stated, "You will certainly wind up losing all traces of your individual self." Grabbing the fork next to her, Charmy told him, "Simply dying would be a kinder fate." She took a bite of cake and continued with, "For all of eternity, you will continue merely as a concept, a principle that destroys Demons."

"That's what I intend to do, so it's fine," Asta replied. He grinned and said, "If someone says it's wrong to have hope, then I'll tell them they're wrong, every single time!" He hummed and added, "And I know I'll always tell them so."

"Then it really is fine, isn't it?" Another voice said next to him. He turned his head to see Kahono sipping some tea. "If you think you can do it," she told him, "Then you've just got to do it!" Setting the cup down, she added, "I mean, you've found your reason to stay and fight, right?" Twirling her hair, she finished with, "Then there's no problem! All that's left is to do what you do best: run full steam ahead!" He smiled.

"Right. Thank you, Kahono."

"You aren't just granting us hope," Charmy chimed in, "You are becoming hope, itself. The hope of all of us."

* * *

As the Mountbatten pink flash faded, Asta stood in his own Magical Knight uniform with his bow from his grimoire drawn. He wore a buttoned Mountbatten pink waistcoat vest over a white-tunic with a pale silver middle that was outlined in white stripes and red buttons running down the middle. He wore white shorts with red trimming that ended just above his knees accompanied by a red belt that was connected to the red pouch holding his grimoire. His boots were a Mountbatten pink with the vamp and toe being colored white. Finishing off his attire, he wore a short Mountbatten pink hooded-robe that had intricate five-leaf clover designs in white-colored lines with red trimming that covered the upper half of his torso. The robe was tied together using a red ribbon around a silver button that had the a five-leaf clover emblem on it. His signature headband was dyed Mountbatten pink with his soul gem stitched to the side of it like an insignia. His grimoire was a silver color and appeared similar in design to his robe with a five-leaf clover in the middle.

Asta stared at Walpurgisnacht, drawing his bow. The arrow flared a Mountbatten pink gleam as an array for resembling the fabled gate of time and space, the fabric of the universe itself, appeared in the sky. Asta shot his arrow towards the array. As it made contact, the scenery of destruction was blown away by a calm wave of blue. Arrows rained from the sky, landing in different parts of time and space as the hordes of Demons began to disappear. They flickered out of existence, one by one.

And Asta saw it happen all at once, at the same time. He could see himself in the medieval era, in the imperial era, all over, all at the same time. He cupped each Magical Knight's soul gem with his hands. Taking away their curses and their hate, he let them pass into a peaceful sleep as their soul charms shattered out of reality. With their burdens relieved, each one let out a thankful sigh of relief.

"I won't let your prayers end in despair," he told them, his voice overlapping with thousands of his own. All their sounds knitted together forming his words, forming his concept. "None of you have to hate anyone, or curse anyone," he soothed, "I will bear all of that cursed destiny for you. So please, in the very end, keep believing in yourselves!" His voice gaining a power that weaved himself into the fabric of time and space itself. "Not giving up," he stated, "Is your magic! The magic of all Magical Knights!"

Walpurgisnacht crumbled away as its existence was erased from history. It's roars becoming less loud in time. "It's all right now," Asta told it, "You don't have to hate or curse anyone anymore." Opening his arms, Asta smiled. "I'll go back, before you turned into this," he promised, "And take that burden of yours." He could feel the relief of the Demon running over him in waves. Then a bright light shined as the universe unraveled itself to welcome him into its embrace.

* * *

Eight wings sprung from his back, enveloping Asta like a seraph's wings would for an angel. In each wing, a reflection of the universe was given. He wore a glistening silver top jacket with a "V" tailcoat that reach the tips of his ankles that resembling what royalty would wear. The long sleeves were rolled up to mid-elbow, cuffs outlined in gold. The jacket's torso was lined with golden thread, creating a rectangle that stretched from his collar bones to his chest in the front, and golden buttons trailing up the sides with a five-leaf clover emblem in each one. Its high-collar was a royal red and matched the red and gold lined shoulder patches in color. Golden fringe hung from them, reaching mid-chest. A golden cord was wrapped around his torso in a loose loop. A royal red sash was tied in a neat side-knot rested just above his hip. In addition, he wore a deep crimson colored pants that had golden lines running down the outer side-length. His golden-lined white boots had the toes and vex dipped in the same royal red that reached just below mid-calf. Sleek white gloves covered his hands. Finishing the outfit, Asta's signature headband was replaced with a silver crown with that resembled that the kind a king would wear with a soul gem in the middle. Indeed, Asta looked like the Wizard King, the greatest of all Magical Knights.

"It's all right," his voice echoed, thousands of versions of himself across the multi-verse rolled into one single being, as he appeared. Golden eyes stared into shocked amber ones. "My wish was to erase all Demons," He declared to Yuno, "If that prayer really came true, then even I should have no reason to despair ever!" He summoned his bow, it's size and grander resembling the one that had took his life along with Walpurgisnacht in the very first timeline. He summoned the gate of the universe as he released his sword arrow, destroying the existence of his demon-self and overwriting the laws of reality itself in the explosion of white light.

* * *

"Asta."

"With this, your life has ceased to have either a beginning or end."

"No trace of your life on Earth, nor a single memory of you will remain anywhere."

"Your existence has shifted onto a higher plane, and all that will be left of you here is a concept."

"No one will ever be aware of your presence again."

"And you will never be able to interact with anyone."

"You have ceased to exist in this universe."

* * *

"What are you saying?" Yuno cried out in the universal void, somehow managing to follow Asta even here, "That Asta wished for such an ending?!" He looked around trying to find the source of the voice. "You think this is a fair reward for everything he's done?!" he demanded. Covering his face in his hands, Yuno whispered, "This fate is even worse than what death would have been…!"

"No, you're wrong, Yuno," Asta told him as he materialized in front of him in his Magical Knight attire, the only difference being his headband was his regular one, causing Yuno to jump. As Yuno fell to his knees, perhaps in relief, Asta walked up and embraced him. "As I am now, I can see everything that has ever or will ever happen," He explained calmly, "Both the universes that could have been and the universes that might one day be. All of them."

"Asta…"

"Even so," Asta stated, "I have my memories of all you've done for me in all the different timelines. All of it." Bringing him closer, Asta's voice dropped into a murmur, "Like how often you cried or got hurt, yet you still never gave up for my sake." Stroking his head, Asta whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't remember sometimes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you when I did." He could feel Yuno bury his head in his chest, hugging Asta tighter. "To think that I would be so lucky as to have such a precious person with me all this time," Asta muttered into Yuno's ear, "I'm glad I got to know you." Yuno pulled back at Asta's words. "Yuno," Asta told him with a smile, "Thank you."

"But still, as you are now," Yuno cried, "You no longer have a place to go home to, and you'll be separated from everyone you love…" He paused to gesture to the void around them. "To live and be trapped all alone in a place like this forever?!" He finished. Asta shook his head.

"I'm not alone though," he responded with a grin, "All of you will always be with me, like I will always be with all of you."

"Are you really alright with that?" Yuno asked, "Even though I'll forget you?" Voice panicking, he pressed, "Even though I'll never be able to even sense you again?"

Asta shook his head. "Isn't it too soon to give up?" he teased, "After all, you found a way to follow me here, didn't you?" Untangling himself from Yuno, Asta took off his signature headband. Before Yuno could ask what he was doing, he felt Asta press his lips against his as Asta handed him his headband. Pulling back and smiling at the stunned expression on Yuno's face, Asta said, "Consider it a promise to see you again." He took a couple steps back from Yuno. "Let's believe that it'll be all right," He grinned once more, "After all, Magical Knights make the impossible possible!" He could feel himself fading into the universe around them. "Surely a real miracle, no matter how small, can occur," he called to the other, "Don't you think?" Looking at Yuno in the eyes, Asta finished with, "Not to mention, you're my most precious person. So even if you can't see or hear me, know that I'll be at your side, Yuno."

Yuno shook himself out of his daze. "W-Wait!" he exclaimed, "Don't go! Asta!"

"Until the day we meet again, Yuno, this will just be a little good-bye."

Even as he faded, though, in the universe, he could still sense Yuno screaming his name.

* * *

Yuno looked around, hand still outstretched. Asta observed, making sure he had sent him back to reality all right. Yuno lowered his arm as he recognized the train platform he was in. Turning, he saw his two other companions, Charmy and Kahono. Alive and in their Magical Knight attires. A pleasant sight for Asta, but it was strange how Yuno was still a Magical Knight himself. Guess he didn't overwrite everything then.

"Where's Noelle?" Kahono asked.

"She's gone," Charmy explained as she stared at the spot Noelle must have been, "Led away by the Law of Cycles." She looked down before adding, "Noelle used up all her remaining power in that last attack."

"That idiot," Kahono muttered as she looked at her feet, "She promised to sing a duet with me later." Asta made a note to remind Noelle of that fact.

"That is the fate of all Magical Knights," Charmy said softly, "You've known that since you first gained this power." She looked up, towards something beyond their sight. "Before the hope we wished for summons an equivalent amount of misfortune," Charmy recited, "We have no choice but to vanish from this world." Yuno looked into his hand to see Asta's headband in it.

With his hands shaking, Asta watch Yuno brought it to his chest. Oh. He seemed to have retained his memories of him. As if trying to keep himself from breaking, Yuno whispered, "Asta…!"

A part of him felt guilty. He had sent Yuno back hoping he, too, would forget and live the happy life he deserved. It appeared as though Asta could just bring Yuno misery. He could only watch as Yuno froze when the other two looked at him in confusion upon hearing his whispered cry and say:

"Who's Asta?"

* * *

Yuno returned to the church to see the little ones playing about. Ignoring them, he went straight inside and up the stairs. Asta trailed silently behind. Yuno turned to the room across from his and opened the door. Stacks of dusty cardboard boxes greeted him back. He stepped into the room and looked around. There was no evidence that this had ever been someone's bedroom at one time. It was a little disheartening. His hands shook as he tightened his grip on a particular headband. So, that really was all that was left of Asta.

"Asta…"

Slowly, Yuno knelt down in the muffled light of the window that shined in the middle of the room. It was only then, Asta noted, that Yuno allowed himself to break down, holding the headband close to his heart. Tears ran down his face, landing on the ground. Heart-breaking, Asta walked over to him.

Even if there was no use in the gesture, Asta knelt down beside him and hugged him best he could in his new form. Willing even a small shred of his presence to be felt by Yuno, Asta whispered calming sweet nothings in his ear in hopes that a few would be heard.

"I failed. I failed. I failed."

The mantra left Yuno's lips in breathless gasps, causing Asta to press closer to him. "Oh, you handsome jerk," Asta whispered, calling upon a nickname he hadn't said in what felt like lifetimes. "You didn't fail," Asta promised him in vain, "I'm right here." And he always would be too. He'd watch over Yuno until the day they could reunite with one another. Asta would wait it for as long as it took, even if it meant suffering agony the entire time himself. For Asta, the end result was worth it. After all, on that day, they could be together once and forever more.

* * *

 **Author's Note from imjustawriter:**

I got inspired to write this idea from all the Black Clover ones coming out. I thought to myself as I was re-watching some shows that it would fun as like Halloween special to do a Black Clover mixed with Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU (or cross-over depending on your perspective) since I see AUs as "costumes" for universes in a way.

I first thought that this would be a short work, but it quickly turned into the behemoth you see before you. I did change add a few minor things while changing this into chapters, but the story as whole is unchanged. It's my first fanfic I've done. So sorry if the formatting is off! I'm still learning as I go.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me what you thought of it. If not, then I still hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

 **Side-Note:**

Sorry for the radio silence these past few months. Life's got busier than I expected with school and other events, but I have good news for readers of "Become a Magical Knight": I am indeed writing the sequel for Rebellion portion. I've been working on it for the past couple months in my free time. Like the first 'arc,' its colossal in terms of length and pages so its taking me a bit of time to finish it. Currently, I'd rate it about 80% done at 72 pages as of June 2018. I have all the remaining scenes outline. The Rebellion arc is currently set to be finished end of June to early July 2018. To all my readers, thank you for your patience and for reading "Become a Magical Knight!" I hope you all are looking forward to the next arc and have a happy reading :)

* * *

 **Story Fun-facts:**

 **(Just in case you were wondering why I put this person in this role, added something, etc. If you have any questions about my process with this fic, feel free to ask!)**

Surprisingly as I worked on this, I found that many of the personalities from the two shows seemed to match pretty well for the most part. For Asta, his cheerful personality matches Madoka's, except that he's more courageous and boisterous. However, in the manga, Asta has been observed to pretty deep in his thoughts at times. From how I interpret his character in the manga and this story is that he tends to play the role of "the fool" as he doesn't want to the people around him to worry. Though in this universe, I think it's a little harder for him to brush things off due to the fact he's always in the forefront of it all and knows that the more he worries the people around him, the more their soul gems fall into despair.

As for Yuno, both him and Homura both had "younger, weaker" personalities starting off. As they grew older, those personalities faded into a mask of indifference to the world, even if on the inside they are letting their emotions fester. In this universe, I imagine after going through hundreds of time loops only to fail each and every time, it's bound to make a person crack. Especially when the one thing you aim for is forever out of reach.

For Charmy, I felt she matched the "cool veteran" character that Mami had. Though it's hard for me to get a feel on her character in the manga besides her love of food, I feel she can be a very serious character when she wants to be. I pitted her against Sylph because of the two's rocky relationship in the manga.

For Noelle, I think she matches Sayaka's personality in the cases where they can both be slightly quick-tempered but their hearts are in the right place. Both of the characters also tend to pretend they're fine, even when they aren't.

Kahona was probably the hardest to match as she doesn't have a very long role in the manga. However, I liked her interacts with Noelle in the manga and felt they would play these two roles off of each other nicely. As when I thought that Noelle would turn into a sea dragon, there's an old saying that "music soothes the savage beast." Since Kahona is aligned with music, I felt it was a nice fit.

Since some of the Black Clover cast doesn't have last names, I just gave them the last name of the role they were in such as Asta "Kaname" or Yuno "Akemi."


	10. Rebellion: Part 1

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

" _They are Magical Knights."_

" _They are the ones who pray for hope, embrace curses, and fight ever onward."_

" _The price we paid to obtain our miracles was to take a destiny wrought with hardships upon our souls."_

" _And this destiny ended in the salvation of oblivion."_

" _By disappearing from this world, we could escape our fate of despair."_

" _Someday, that final day will come."_

* * *

Yuno watched hidden behind one of the kitchen entry's columns as the door slammed shut, trapping the incubus inside the illusion. Tonight's incubus was a large blue-scaled creature with two bat-like wings and two eagle-like legs. Its head and torso mimicked that of a human female, albeit it had two long, bull-like horns that wrapped around its head like a crown. Its tail flicked back and forth as it observed the "room" that it found itself in.

The room was styled to appear like a cozy cottage, complete with intertwining wooden panel floors and arching wooden trim along the walls. On its right side, a red cabinet housing chinaware and glassware lay snug against the wall. Sharing the same space next to the cabinet was a statue of a praying priestess and a mixed vase of coltsfoot and rosebay rhododendron flowers. Near the flowers, a blue door stood closed. On the room's left, there was a couple drawers and end tables displaying a phone and a potted fern. Next to the fern was a closed red door. On each side, several shelves that held various knickknacks hung above the furniture, filling the atmosphere with a familiar vibe. Behind the creature, a large curved mantle that housed two fireplaces stood. It appeared much more like the front of a church along with the entry door that lay nestled perfectly between the two. Baskets of delicate petunias were placed around the fireplaces' mantles. The hearth on the left was lit and filled the room with a crackling sound. Finishing the room, a round stained-glass window of a white clover hung centered above the door.

Mirroring the white clover window was a purpled four-leaf clover that was placed above the carved wooden archway to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, a petite girl with green eyes stood grabbing the tea kettle from the counter top near the stone stove. Her hair was black and shoulder-length, styled into an upside-down bun that had fringes framing her face. In her bun was a fork and knife sticking out to form an "X" pattern with a yellow stone in the middle that had the same fork and knife pattern centered in front of a three-leafed clover. She wore a beige skirt with black tips accompanied by a white, long-sleeved puffed shirt. Attaching her shirt and skirt together was a brown corset. Finishing off her outfit, she additionally wore gray and white-striped leggings, and bumblebee colored knee-high boots. Finishing her outfit and attached to her hip, an amber tome with the same markings as her stone was held. Near her shoulder, a small green sprite hovered, resembling the fairies described in any child's storybook. A fluffy sheep puppet cooked a couple paces away, grabbing the various pots and pans and other utensils that hung from the walls.

Between the creature and the kitchen, a single table surrounded by four empty chairs was covered by a white cloth that was turned amber by the fire's glow. The creature's focus was drawn to the table's top where sweets were arranged near a lit candlestick on a plate. Slowly, it took a seat with a slight _scrape_ of the chair.

The entry door softly squeaked open once more to reveal a boy holding a bread basket, nearly tipping its contents in his enthusiasm to get inside the room. He wore a buttoned Mountbatten pink waistcoat vest over a white-tunic with a pale silver middle that was outlined in white stripes and red buttons running down the middle. He wore white shorts with red trimming that ended just above his knees accompanied by a red belt that was connected to the red pouch holding his grimoire. His boots were a Mountbatten pink with the vamp and toe being colored white. Finishing off his attire, he wore a short Mountbatten pink hooded-robe that had intricate five-leaf clover designs in white-colored lines with red trimming that covered the upper half of his torso. The robe was tied together using a red ribbon around a silver button that had the a five-leaf clover emblem on it. His signature headband was dyed Mountbatten pink with his soul gem stitched to the side of it like an insignia. His grimoire was a silver color and appeared similar in design to his robe with a five-leaf clover in the middle. The creature swiveled its head to look at the newcomer. The boy grinned and tossed one of the loaves at it.

Next, the blue door opened to reveal a girl with pink eyes and silvery hair that was styled into twin ponytails. She wore both a sleeveless and backless, short royal blue dress. The dress was covered by a silver blazer with sleeves that were attached at the back with golden cuffs. In addition, the blazer had frilly edges that were secured by a golden choker and danced down to her thighs and up to her neck. A long, white tailcoat, resembling a cape in its own way, went to her knees and blended into her blazer's collar. Fitted on the center of the brown belt holding her grimoire was a blue Soul Charm baring an emblem of a large cross in the middle of a three-leaf clover. Her grimoire lay strapped to her right hip and colored a warm amber with intricate, silvery markings of a three-leaf clover. The final parts of her outfit were silver leg warmers with golden cuffs at both ends and blue boots that just went past her ankles. The girl held out a plate of grilled fish.

In time to the blue door, the red door opened to reveal a tall girl with a slender build. Her long, reddish-brown hair was tied back into a flowing ponytail by a black bow. Eyes matching her hair's hue held a fire-like warmth to them. She wore a crimson dress that went in an upside down "V" form. The dress itself had a mandarin collar and an opening near the chest to display the girl's own Soul Charm. The gem's emblem was that of a dolphin inside a three-leaf clover. The borders of the dress were thick, white ruffles that covered the opening of her dress to the back of it. Additionally, she sported white sleeves that went halfway up her bicep that had black buttoned cuffs around her wrists. Underneath her dress, visible from the opening, she wore a pleated, pink shirt and a black corset with white detailing. Concluding her outfit were black, thigh-high tights along with her tall, red boots that had white cuffs and detailing resembling waves down the side. In her hand, she held a single red apple.

The two girls walked towards the table with their respective items in synchronicity. The amber girl from the kitchen and the small sprite approached the table with a silver tray holding the tea kettle and some cups as a wisp of steam blew behind them. A trail of sheep puppets followed her and circled the room. The three placed their offerings on the table as the sprite cooled the tea off with a light gust of wind. As the incubus feasted and calmed down, the room began to glow in a mixture of amber and green magic as it was filled with wind and cotton. In the embrace of the spell, the nightmare faded to nothingness.

* * *

"You have nothing to feel nervous about," Vanessa Enoteca soothed as she watched him fiddle slightly with his schoolbag strap. He could hear the _crashes_ of…something or someone beyond the door. "They're just rowdier than most classes," The pink haired woman sighed. Her curls bounced slightly as she shook her head lightly. The tall and voluptuous woman straightened her black cardigan, flattening it against her red-violet dress. Red-violet thigh-high boots coupled with dark purple stockings marched over towards the door. She knocked loudly, and the chaos inside briefly halted before starting again.

After a minute, a slender, exhausted man opened the door. He ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair. He wore a wrinkled combination of a light-green dress shirt and black trousers with his tie looking as if it was going to come undone at any moment. Beyond the man, he could see another looming figure. That one looked more like a body-builder with messy, black hair. He could see that the other's white tunic-shirt was untucked with his teacher blazer slung over his shoulder like a towel. From the vantage point Yuno stood at, it appeared as though the man was taking a nap.

"Rough day, Finral?" Vanessa sympathized as she patted his shoulder.

"Yami decided to surpass his limits of how long he can nap before break."

Vanessa laughed at this. "Well," She said, "Hopefully he wakes up soon to greet his new student." She motioned to Yuno behind him. Finral gave him a look that was mix between exasperation and pity. The three of them winced when they heard another _crash_ from within the classroom. Turning to Yuno, Vanessa told him, "Why don't you wait out here until we calm the class down?"

Yuno nodded and watched as they entered the disaster zone. Gazing at the hallway and classrooms around him, he bit his lip lightly as he tried to label the muddled feeling in his chest. Perhaps he was just nervous? Yet that didn't sound right. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he tried to identify whatever he was experiencing, trying to control it. So lost in thought was he that he almost missed Vanessa's cue to enter the room himself.

He could feel the class's eyes on him as he entered the room. He expected to feel anxious or, at the very least, anything that wasn't this… familiar. Yet, as he approached the center of the room, that was the only emotion he could identify. Like he had rehearsed this entrance hundreds of times to the point it was a monotonous event.

"My name is Yuno Akemi," he greeted, bowing to the class, "It is very nice to meet you all." He could hear Vanessa write his name on the white-board behind him. His fingers twitched as he fought down the irrational urge to turn around and see if his name was written correctly. He held back a frown as he tried to recall why that impulse was even there in the first place. Nothing was coming to mind.

Looking for a slight distraction, he forced himself to look out into the other students. Immediately, he could recognize three faces as part of the group he had assisted the previous night: the girl with the twin ponytails, the girl with the big bow, and the boy with the headband. Rather than marvel at the luck that three of them were in his class, he blinked as his head throbbed slightly. Three names came to his mind in a muffled whisper. _Noelle, Kahono,_ and _Asta_. Puzzled, he tried to recall if Charmy had mentioned their names last night.

"I want you all to help him out," Vanessa said, glaring at a couple of specific students in the crowd with a silent threat. Yuno, for his part, focused on the mysterious trio. It seemed the three of them were trying to place him as well, if the intensity of their stares were anything to go off of. Deciding to give them a hint, he gave what he hoped was a friendly smile and shifted his schoolbag. The light from the windows caught with a quiet purple gleam on the soul necklace that was tied neatly to the strap. That did the trick as he saw all three's eyes widen.

* * *

"You already knew?!" Kahono exclaimed in disbelief as they finished gathering on the school rooftop. Charmy swallowed the bite of her rice cake and turned to the girl. Rubbing the back of her neck, she put on a sheepish expression. Finishing her treat, she answered between bites.

"La," Charmy hummed, "I thought it would be more fun to surprise you all~"

"I should have introduced myself last night," Yuno apologized as he fiddled with his glasses. The uneasiness that had settled in his stomach grew. So, they really hadn't all met last night. How did he know their names again? Charmy wasn't acting like she had told him.

"Ah," Kahono snapped her fingers, "The incubus hunt last night!" Charmy didn't look off put by the sudden declaration, rather she was preoccupied in digging through her schoolbag for another sweet. Noelle and Asta glanced at each other while Kahono pointed her finger at Charmy. "You mean," she continued, "That Yuno was there waiting with you?"

"Yep," Charmy disclosed as she bit into a muffin, "He decided to give me a helping hand after I found him last night, La~" She took another bite of her snack before continuing. "His power is amazing," She admitted, causing Yuno's cheeks warm a bit in response to her blunt praise. Finishing her muffin and pulling out a cookie from her bag, she concluded, "He's got time magic."

"I-I can only do supporting roles," Yuno quickly added before anyone could react, "I don't have any real attack power." He fiddled with his school bag as he felt the weight of the trio's gazes as they refocused on him. A hand clasped his shoulder.

"If Charmy let you help," Asta countered as he removed his hand, "Then you're obviously reliable." For some reason, his words seemed to lift a weight off his chest. As if they alone gave him courage. Yuno found himself nodding slightly before remembering himself.

"I'm Yuno Akemi," Yuno reintroduced himself. He bowed once before continuing, "I'll be helping you all out from now on." Readjusting his glasses, he concluded, "I look forward to working with you."

Asta grinned and snagged him around the shoulders for a side hug, forcing Yuno to bend down. "Let's do our best together," Asta proclaimed, "Yuno!" Even though there was little doubt that he was blushing slightly for he could feel the heat on his cheeks once more, Yuno returned his grin and nodded.


	11. Rebellion: Part 2

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

Yuno could hear the now familiar _crash_ of Asta falling out of bed from across the hallway. Taking this as his own signal to get up, his hand fumbled around on top of his night stand until catching his glasses. Placing them on, he neatly got out of bed and went about changing out of his sleepwear. After wrestling into his school uniform and grabbing his Soul Charm, he exited his room and nearly crashed into Asta, who was too busy trying to fix his tie to notice where he was going.

"Whoops," Asta said with a sheepish grin, "Sorry, Yuno!" His volume was near a shout, but Yuno knew that this was Asta's version of an 'inside' voice. If anything, it seemed like the whole house used Asta as an alarm clock if the slight muffled sounds from around the hallway, where the little ones lay, were any indication. Asta, on the other hand, gave no hint whether he was aware of this fact as he continued mangling his tie. Yuno lifted an eyebrow up in a silent _'need help?'_ gesture. Asta paused before shaking his head. His grin widened as he proclaimed, "I'm not done yet! I'm not giving up!"

" _Not giving up is my magic!"_

The ghost of an echo resounded in his mind as his head began to ache. When had he heard Asta say those words before? His chest tightened, and he must have had a strange expression on his face because Asta stopped whatever rant he was going on. The shorter boy leaned closer to inspect him.

"You okay?" Asta asked as a frown began to form on his features. Yuno blinked before realizing how close the other actually was. He bent back with a dust of red on his cheeks.

"I-I'm fine."

Asta didn't look like he completely believed him, but he didn't press the issue either. Instead, some unidentifiable emotion flashed across Asta's face before disappearing entirely as he turned towards the stairs. "You're probably still tired," Asta proclaimed over his shoulder, "Breakfast will fix that!" He took an exaggerated deep breath before continuing, "I can smell Sister's hash-browns from here!" He glanced back at Yuno and smiled once more, "Come on!"

Yuno fought down the urge to reach out towards Asta as the other disappeared down the stairs. His hand still twitched, and he shoved it in his pocket to hide the impulse. An irrational seed of fear, that Asta would vanish the moment he left Yuno's sight, had planted itself in him. Which was foolish. Asta wasn't gone. He was just down the stairs and probably waiting for Yuno to catch up. Shaking his head, Yuno moved to follow.

* * *

Around the dining table, Father Ofai was reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee waiting in front of him. The little ones were all chatting amongst each other though some were fighting over a second portion of hash-browns. Nash was running a hand through his brown hair, most likely praying under his breath that the school bus would come soon. Sister Lily was in the kitchen cooking another serving of breakfast, silently laughing at the family's antics. Yuno moved to sit down, but Asta stopped him.

Asta grabbed two pieces of toast. Shoving one in his mouth, Asta handed the other to Yuno and hooked him around his arm. He herded them towards the door. "I forgot we're supposed to be meeting Noelle and Kahono today," He groaned, "Noelle will scold my ear off if we're late!" Waving goodbye as Yuno awkwardly mimicked, they exited the church.

Once they were down the steps and on the main walkway, Asta released Yuno's arm. Yuno resisted the urge to touch the rapidly cooling spot in vain attempt to keep the warmth there a second longer. Instead he quickly ate his piece of toast.

The flapping of wings alerted the two of them to Nero as the bird made a nest in Asta's hair. "Aw, really?" Asta huffed, "Why does it always have to be _my_ head?" Still, he made no move to dislodge the bird. Yuno stared at the pair together, a small pit forming in his stomach.

He clutched his schoolbag's strap a bit tighter as he tried to keep his breathing from speeding up. His head ached softly as he tried to recall a reason as to why the bird was so unsettling. It just helped them on Incubus hunts, and it never gave any indication of ill will. Besides, it didn't even seem interested in Yuno. The bird was always hovering around Asta. Yuno swallowed the lump forming in his throat at the thought.

* * *

"Good Morning'!" Asta exclaimed as he waved to Noelle and Kahono, spooking a few birds in the area. Yuno trailed behind Asta, wincing out at the volume of the other's greeting. The two girls stopped their conversation with their attention falling mostly on the louder of the two. Yuno worried at Noelle's annoyed look as she stood with her hands on her hips and her tapping foot, but Asta showed no signs of distress. Perhaps this was normal. Kahono didn't seem phased as she took out her ear-buds for the phone in her schoolbag.

"You're late, Dorksta."

"We were beginning to think you'd never show up."

"I guess the fight last night wore me out more than I thought," Asta said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Noelle rolled her eyes while Kahono giggled at her reaction. For a split second, Noelle turned her gaze to Yuno. But by the time he blinked, she was already refocused on Asta.

"Sure," Noelle snorted in disbelief, "If that's the case, then you're losing your edge." Asta opened his mouth to protest, but she interrupted his oncoming rant with a wave of her hand in dismissal. Adjusting her bag's strap, she turned on her heel towards the school. "Either way, you owe me a treat," She added over her shoulder, "I'm feeling like a milkshake today." Asta shook his head but smiled in resignation.

"If that would please 'Her Highness'," He sniffed as he gave a mock bow behind her back. He then laughed at the glare she responded with. Turning to Yuno and Kahono, he gave a ' _Come, on'_ gesture as he turned to catch up with Noelle.

"Another pleasant day," Kahono smiled. She popped an ear bud in her left ear, letting the cord dangle as she pocketed her phone in her schoolbag. Her gaze switched to Yuno as she clasped him on the shoulder lightly, but that only served to make his shoulder twitch slightly and his grip tighten. She paused as she removed her hand and said, "Oh, I didn't think I'd startle you." Her expression furrowed for a moment before smoothing over, whatever troubling her being pushed aside. "I just wanted to say nice work last night," She amended, "It's nice having another person on the team." With a small laugh, she said, "You worked so well with us that it's like you've been here for months rather than weeks." She didn't wait for Yuno to respond as she turned to catch up with the others.

As Yuno himself caught up to them, his head began to pound slightly as her statement registered with him. There was nothing strange about it, but it left him feeling like her words were truer than he would have liked. The tight sensation in his chest returned and so was the whisper that something was _off_. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. A sudden yelp from Asta tore him from his brooding.

"I forgot about the reading today!" Asta proclaimed as his hands flew to his head and disturbed Nero. The bird seemed to huff at his antics as it flapped its wings at him. It hopped off of him and perched on Kahono's shoulder instead.

"Well," Noelle said as she closed her eyes, "You better hope Mr. Yami doesn't call on you in class today." At that, Asta paled. Before he could open his mouth, Noelle continued as she opened one eye to look at him. "And no," She added, "I'm not letting you copy me for the homework you missed either."

"You better step up your game," Kahono teased, "Even Yuno and I got our work done." She turned her head towards Yuno for confirmation. He shyly nodded as he straightened his glasses. Kahono grinned victoriously as she snapped back to Asta. "See?" She hummed.

"It's expected Yuno would," Asta proclaimed, "He's my rival for a reason!" He gave Yuno a thumb's up and his own grin. Yuno couldn't help the smile on his face. Noelle groaned and gave Asta a small shove.

"Stop trying to butter him up," She scolded. "He's _not_ going to let you copy his homework either," She added while looking at Yuno with an eyebrow raised in a ' _Right?_ ' gesture.

"I wasn't doing that!"

"Then stop _flirting_ with him. Better?"

The red that danced across Asta's face probably matched the warmth Yuno could feel across his own. The choked noise Asta made immediately after her amendment didn't help the embarrassment. Asta stumbled for a moment, trying to come up with a comeback.

"Yeah," Kahono piped up as she skipped slightly over to Noelle and hooked her lightly around the shoulders. Nero returned to perching on Asta's head. "Save the flirting for the professionals," she smiled. It was now Noelle's turn to combust as she slipped out of Kahono's hold.

"K-Kahono!" Noelle whined as she batted lightly at the other's shoulder. Said girl just laughed off her antics as she ran just out of Noelle's reach. The two of them ended up running in circles around Yuno and Asta as Noelle tried to catch her. Their antics left Asta laughing and even got a couple of chuckles from Yuno.

* * *

The little ones at the Church begged Yuno to go inspect their work in the park fields just ten minutes away. They seemed so proud to be a part of the community's project to brighten up the city. Yuno couldn't say no to them. Leaning down, he inspected the pink carnations before his fingers.

"It's great, right?"

Yuno jumped a little before looking over his shoulder and seeing Asta. The other wandered over and crouched beside him. Yuno nodded, not trusting his tongue at the moment. Asta smiled and turned his gaze over to towards the flowers Yuno was looking at.

"I believe the little ones planted these when you got here," Asta observed. He paused before adding, "Hard to believe it's been a month already though." Yuno nodded at his statement, trying to calm the beating of his heart. He could hear Asta begin to settle down and followed suit. Leaning back, he could feel the grass blades slip between his fingers.

"Everything's feels so familiar," Yuno admitted, "It feels like I've been here a lot longer." Asta hummed slightly in response but didn't comment. The two of them sat in relative silence with only the occasional flap from Nero bringing the atmosphere some noise. Yuno felt it was odd to see Asta so silent, but at the same time, the silence was comforting in a way.

"This may sound odd," Asta said slowly, "But I'm glad I bumped into you tonight."

"Me too," Yuno agreed softly. He glanced over at Asta to see the other watching him. Biting his lip slightly, Yuno swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Fighting back a blush crawling up his neck, Yuno forced himself to maintain eye contact as he continued. "I feel like I've wanted to talk with you for a while," Yuno amended. Curling his fingers slightly and disturbing the blades of green between them, he added, "Even though I see you every day…" He paused and forced a laugh. "It's strange, right?" he asked, not expecting a real answer.

"Maybe," Asta responded with a grin as he shook his head. Leaning back further until he was laying on the ground, Asta looked up at Yuno and added, "But I feel the same way." Focusing his gaze on the stars, Asta clarified, "That I've been wanting to talk with you for a while." Crossing his arms behind his head and resting on them, he added as he let out a small sigh, "Not to mention, I've been wanting to spend time together like this again."

"Again?" Yuno questioned as he laid down on the ground next to Asta. He looked over at the blond who seemed to have frozen momentarily. Before Yuno could get a glimpse of his expression, Asta let out an embarrassed chuckle, wiping the previous emotion away.

"I meant relaxing without worrying about having to fight Incubuses," Asta amended. He freed one arm to gesture to the sky. "It's also nice to see the stars once in a while," he added. As if jinxing it, the night took his words as a cue to fade into the sewn patterns of a quilt an incubus weaved. "Never mind," Asta snorted as he moved to get up. Grumbling, he said in a tone that suggested he was talking to himself, "Can't go five minutes without being interrupted."

Yuno accepted the hand that Asta offered as the other helped him stand.


	12. Rebellion: Part 3

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

If it wasn't for the fact that he was a Magical Knight, Yuno was sure he would have been blown off the bullet train. Just ahead of him, he could make out three figures standing on top of the conductor car. Asta raced beside him, and from the corner of his eye, he could see the sheepish expression on the other.

"You're both late," Noelle observed as Asta and Yuno caught up to them. Nero trailed behind them. Kahono looked amused at their predicament, lightly elbowing Noelle who rolled her eyes. Bell hovered near Charmy's shoulder, a light green glow surrounding her. For a second, Bell jingled unhappily in the newcomers' direction. Yuno could only assume she, too, was scolding them for their tardiness as she dropped the unhappy tone to tug on Charmy's ear. Charmy held her soul necklace in her hand as she momentarily took her focus away from tonight's battlefield to address the team.

"All right! Let's go!"

Nodding, the five of them stepped into formation. Kahono's Soul Charm lit up first. Next came Noelle's. Charmy's was third. Yuno's was forth. And the last and brightest was Asta. The air around the five of them stirred into a tempest of magic as each called upon their Magical Knight forms. Yuno could feel the familiar shadowy tendrils of magic surround his being as his form changed.

Reaching out his hands, he ended the mana field as his grimoire emerged. Looking around, he could see the others were also combat ready. Beyond the horizon, the incubus awaited, too occupied in destroying the building to notice its new foes. Tonight's was of purple hue and resembling a giant salamander made of gel. The creature coated the structure in its sticky substance, the acid warping the skyscraper until it resembled a crushed cardboard box.

As they made their way closer, however, the incubus did take notice of them. With a screech, it launched projectiles of gels at them like sticky meteors. Yuno gasped slightly as one attack knocked him off the building he had been standing on. It wasn't the freefalling that worried him. At this rate, they couldn't get close to the creature. They needed to switch tactics. As if on autopilot, he found himself opening his tome and calling for Charmy.

Charmy responded by opening her own book and calling out, "Cotton Magic: Sheep Scarf!" A line of cotton wrapped around Yuno's ankle, and he could see Asta grab another cotton line. Asta gave him a thumb's up when their gazes crossed, and that was all the confirmation Yuno needed.

His grimoire glowed a deep purple as the world around them froze. Catching himself on a gel pocket, he watched as Asta summoned his bow and swung back to Charmy's side between the gel rockets using his cotton line as a rope. Charmy reeled Asta in as well, their tomes glowing as they synchronized their magic. Asta's sword-arrows turned a brilliant yellow as he released a volley towards the incubus's attack.

Yuno waited until the attacks were about to lose momentum by hitting the edge of his time magic before he closed his grimoire. The world around them came back into motion as the arrows shot through the gel barrage and stuck themselves to the warped building. Coating the structure in a Mountbatten pink sheen, the building straightened itself up as the arrows cut through the incubus's magic. The shockwave of the structure correcting itself propelled the creature towards the area Noelle and Kahono were positioned in.

"Geez, Mimosa," Yuno heard Noelle shout as she gave chase, "And I thought you were the normal one of the family." He watched as she landed on top of a nearby church, her cape nearly engulfing her form. Noelle pulled out her grimoire and summoned five swords made of water. "Kahono!" She called as she tossed the swords towards the other.

Kahono sat at the peak of the church's other tower with an earbud in her ear. She opened her own book and called forth her sound barrier spell. Her grimoire brightened as it synchronized with Noelle's magic. The swords grew chains as they chased the incubus, crisscrossing to form a cage of rushing water that swept away any gel trying to escape. The glow of Bell's enchantment came next as a wind platform sprang from beneath the caged creature. The swords' links merged with the platform as they plunged into its surface in a circular pattern. The chains dragged the incubus to the table-like form. The nightmare beast struggled but could not escape the aqua prison.

"Nice work!" Charmy called as the five of them rushed to the scene, "Let's finish this!" As each of them landed on the hilt of a sword, Bell flew in the middle and released another burst of energy. The familiar chime of the purification spell rang out as the area transformed. The swords became chairs of water as each Magical Knight took their respective seats. Draining power from the incubus and effectively shrinking it, the area it was trapped in lifted into an actual table with a star-shaped cloth. The water cage sat in the middle of the table and grew still as ice. It transformed into a glass lid, similar in design to one that would have some sweets under it. Bell sat on top of the container, watching the creature below. Charmy opened her grimoire as she synchronized with Bell to summon a giant sheep beast. It loomed over the table awaiting its nighttime meal.

" _Cake! Cake! A round, round cake!"_

The five of them chanted as their purification ritual began. The Sheep began to circle the table as their chanting continued. Bell conducted her arms to the tempo of the magic, making sure each one could see so they could sing their part in time.

" _This round, round cake… Who could it be?"_

The Sheep momentarily stopped at Yuno, making him go pale. He could see Charmy pat her tome as if to tell the Sheep to stop frightening him. He could see Bell chime at the beast, catching its attention and signaling it to move again. Bell then flew above Noelle and jingled.

" _Is the cake Noelle?"_

Noelle shook her head as she sang her answer, covering her face with her hands. She summoned a raspberry into the glass container as her offering. The incubus gulped it down with a _smack_ of its lips as she spun her fingers to point at Kahono.

" _No, not me! I'm just a little old raspberry!"_

" _That big, round cake's too red, don't-cha know? Could the cake be Kahono?"_

Kahono opened one of her closed eyes to look at Noelle. She leaned back as she answered, her hands drumming a beat to match the purification tempo. She summoned a reddish grape into the incubus's cage as the creature leap to devour it. She swept her hands sideways as she directed the Sheep's attention towards Charmy.

" _No, not me! I'm the juicy grape in this story!"_

" _That big, round cake loves cooking, can't you see? Could the cake be Charmy?"_

Charmy put her hands together as she shook her head. She opened one of her closed eyes to look at Kahono with a smile. She summoned a plump melon for the captive creature as she thumped her foot to the magic's pulses. She clapped her hands together and gestured towards Yuno.

" _No, not me! I am the melon that's so sweet."_

" _This big, round cake goes tumbling in circles, you see? Could the cake be Yuno?"_

Yuno was unprepared for the Sheep snapping its attention immediately to him. It caused him to stumble his words as he lost the rhythm of the magic for a split second as he shook his hands ' _no_ ' nervously at the Sheep before recovering. He summoned a pumpkin into the incubus's mouth as it swallowed it whole. Gesturing with his hand, Yuno passed the spell over to Asta.

" _N-no, not me! I-I am the pumpkin full of seeds."_

" _This big, round cake is too strong, you know? Could the cake be Asta?"_

Asta grinned as he shook his head and covered his face with his hands. He summoned a pomegranate into the cage as the nightmare beast sluggishly ate it. The purification spell began to pulse stronger, signaling the end of the ritual.

" _No, not me! I'm the hardy pomegranate."_

The Sheep began to circle the table faster as they chanted the ending verses. Each of them moving back and forth to the flow of the spell. Bell stood up and bent down to grab the lid of the glass container.

" _So why is the dream so bitter of late?"_

"' _Cause the Salamander is the one on the plate."_

The five of them stood up, each grabbing a piece of the table's cloth. With the final lines of the ritual, they pulled the fabric as Bell opened the glass lid. The leftover energy from the incubus turned into an illusion of cake that had the Sheep jumping up. It landed with its jaw open on the sweet, devouring it whole before exploding into a ball of cotton that shattered the table.

" _So round and plump, everyone eat up!"_

Out of the cotton-ball came the purified dream. Noelle grabbed the orange ball of light and a piece of paper. On the paper was inscribed a picture of an Osmuda flower. The dream shuttered happily before disappearing into mist. The mist flowed around the group, restoring the magic in their Soul Charms with a silent _'thank you._ ' As the final piece of it faded, the quilted curtain lifted to reveal the dawn beginning to coat the Clover City's sky.

Yuno watched as Kahono snagged Noelle's phone in a burst of playfulness as Noelle chased her down the path, determined to get it back. Bell sat on Charmy's shoulder, jingling in response when Charmy asked for her opinion on what tea they should make today. Asta was walking just a couple paces ahead of Yuno with Nero perched on his head as usual. Though he seemed to have noticed Yuno's brooding as Asta looked over his shoulder to observe.

"Something up?" Asta asked and then further pressed upon getting no response with, "Yuno?" At the sound of his name, he blinked and shook his head. Asta didn't look like he believed him, but he turned towards the others anyway. Perhaps he was waiting to question Yuno further when they got home, away from the other Magical Knights. Even then, Yuno doubted he could give Asta an answer.

He thought back to the battle, to the moment he had instinctively called out to Charmy to create that combo between the three of them. When had they used that attack before? He bit his lip as his head began to pound. Following that train of thought, he forced himself to continue despite the pain it was giving him. He clutched his Soul Charm tightly as he tried to grab onto some hazy images. They slipped through his reach like sand until, finally, he grasped a memory solid enough for him to understand

* * *

 _Yuno clung to the clothesline in the Demon labyrinth, trying to avoid getting hit by the falling chairs. Charmy and Asta were making their way towards him, dodging crisscrossing lines and debris. The Cloth Demon sent out bladed legs after them._ _Making sure to stay balanced, Asta summoned his bow from his grimoire and shot another volley of sword arrows at them, clearing the way for Charmy. "Charmy!" he called as soon as there was a break in underlings, "Now!"_

 _"Okay!" Charmy answered as she used her book to summon a cotton sheep bridge under Yuno using the clothesline among them. "Yuno!" she called to him, giving him the signal._ _He landed on the cotton bridge safely and began the next phase of their plan._

 _Beside him, his grimoire began to flip pages as the world around him stilled. Running down the bridge while trying not to get caught among the many crisscrossing wires, Yuno reached into his tome and grabbed out a long, gray cylinder bomb he had spent weeks learning to make. Activating the device via button sequence, he jumped up and through it at the Cloth Demon just before time ran out. As he fell, he reactivated time and covered his ears when his device detonated. He could feel the roar of its heat press against him._


	13. Rebellion: Part 4

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

After he had unlocked that vision from a world that didn't seem to match his own, Yuno had begun to notice that reality around him appeared to be glitching. The most jarring of these new observations was the fact that most people he ran into no longer had faces. Or perhaps they never had faces, and Yuno only now was coming to this realization. He tried to recall if they, at one point, did have recognizable features, but that search was in vain. In fact, the people who would interact with Yuno daily, like his homeroom professors or the family at the Church, were the only ones who weren't blank. Whenever he was with others and ran into one of the faceless beings, none of his companions ever gave off the indication that they were seeing the same nightmarish image he was. And so, he was left if his concerns were in his mind alone.

* * *

The five of them gathered on top of the school roof for lunch with each bringing their own meal to their impromptu picnic. Asta sat near the end of the bench holding a container of grilled cheese, lettuce, and bacon sandwiches with a small side of fried potatoes. He muttered something about Sister Lily's delicious cooking before digging in. Noelle sat in the middle next to Yuno holding a thin bento of steamed vegetables with fried fish and rice. She sat with perfect posture as she gracefully ate her meal. Kahono, on his left, had a couple boxes of convenience store sushi nestled beside her. She poked suspiciously at her acquired meal.

In his distracted state, Yuno hadn't brought one himself, but Charmy was kind enough to give him her second meal. She handed Yuno a bento of rice cakes resembling both Nero and Bell as well as a side of eggs appearing as their Soul Charms. She smiled and walked over to her spot between Asta and Bell on the far end of the bench. As soon as she sat down, Charmy began rapidly demolishing her own fried chicken and rice cake bento. Despite the fact her five cakes were skillfully made to resemble each one of them, she happily chomped down on their faces – starting with her own. Bell floated above her while munching on a tiny scone Charmy had most likely made for her.

Yuno couldn't say that he had the same will as he poked at the faces before him. Instead, he settled on eating one of the Soul Charms. Even though he wanted to enjoy this moment among his friends, his mind kept returning to the blank faces he saw everywhere in Clover City. Yet no one seemed to be as disturbed or perplexed as he was.

An arm reached across him, and he could see Kahono shushing him as she tried to snag a piece of Noelle's lunch. Said girl was distracted in her conversation with Asta as they talked about Professor Yami's latest lecture. Grinning, Kahono plucked a piece of fish.

Noelle looked down at her lunch and noticed the missing piece. "Charmy!" She accused as she turned to her senior. The other girl's mouth was too full of her own food to talk, but Asta pointed at Kahono for her. Whipping her head around, she turned just in time to see Kahono pop the stolen loot in her mouth. "Get your own food," She complained as she slid her box to her other side. Nero snatched one of the vegetables from her. Holding the box above her head, she snapped at the bird, "That includes you too!"

Making a gesture of smacking her lips, Kahono chuckled. "Come on, Elle," She laughed, "We can't help it." Pointing her chopsticks at the girl, she added, "Charmy's taught you to be a pretty good cook." Kahono looked mournfully at her boxes of store sushi. "You're way better than me anyway," She sighed as she tossed one of the boxes towards Nero to eat.

Noelle's cheeks turned red as she pushed one of her pigtails back behind her head. "N-Naturally," She stammered slightly before recovering. Satisfied no one was going to try to steal her food again, Noelle returned it to her lap and picked up a piece of fish. "Besides," She said before she bit into it, "You can only make one dish."

Kahono twirled a piece of her hair as she accepted her fate of eating purchased food. "Well, my strength is singing," She retorted, "Not cooking." Humming as she ate a piece, she continued. "Although I must say that nothing beats Templeton's takoyaki," She said as she swallowed, "Especially against this stuff."

This perked Yuno's attention. Though, he found it strange how he had forgotten that Kahono had moved here before him. Still, maybe this was an opportunity to finally ease his fears. If he could leave Clover City, then he'd know all the paranoia was just in his mind. But if he couldn't, then that proved that the sensation of something being wrong with the world around them was right. He'd have to ask her to meet him somewhere to test his theory. For the sake of his sanity, he hoped she agreed.

* * *

The music store was quiet during this time of day as not too many customers, besides the two of them, were wandering through the aisles and rows of disks. "W-well," Yuno started before pausing as he tried to think of a way on how to phrase his concerns. Not coming up with any roundabout way to question it, he decided to take the blunt route. "Has anything felt odd to you?" He asked.

Kahono's fingers halted in their shifting through the CD columns. "'Odd?'" She echoed as she cast a glance over her shoulder, "I assume besides the sudden invite." She tilted her head slightly as if to think on it. If her expression was anything to go off of, she obviously didn't understand what Yuno was trying to convey. Clutching his Soul Charm lightly, he tried to clarify.

"I don't know why," He mumbled, trailing off in thought before shaking his head. "Something…" He tried again before breaking off. "Something's just…" He attempted vainly before the words died down. He wanted to tug on his hair in frustration. It would be easier to explain if he could pin-point what felt _wrong_. But everything felt _wrong_ , as if the entire world was sideways or backwards. He couldn't describe a single object or person alone that was causing this sensation.

"You…feeling okay?" Kahono inquired slowly as she turned around to give him her full attention. Shuffling her foot, she popped her earbud out of her ear and twirled the cord nervously. "Are you sure you didn't mean to talk to Asta?" she asked, "He'd probably get what you're trying to say."

"No, I meant to talk to you first," Yuno denied as he shook his head, "Because…" He tightened his grip on his Soul Charm. "It's like… I have two impressions of you," He continued, "And compared to the biggest one, the person you are now just seems completely different. You don't seem like the same person." Kahono raised an eyebrow at that statement with her hands connecting to her hips. "So out of all of us," He finished, "You're the one who feels the oddest to me." 

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" Kahono responded, "If anyone is being 'odd,' it's you, especially with that explanation." Without giving him a chance to react, she spun around and began rummaging through the CD collection once more. Thinking he had been dismissed, Yuno opened his mouth before closing it as Kahono interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "But," she muttered, "I do get what you're saying." She glanced over her shoulder for a moment at him. "I get the same feeling around you," she added before turning back to resume browsing. "That's the only reason I'm still here," she said, not giving him another glance, "So go on and ask me what you want to know." She grasped an ocean sounds CD and held it up for inspection. "Otherwise," she finished, "You can leave me to look at the music in peace."

"Kahono," Yuno inquired slowly, "Where are you living right now?" Said girl snorted in disbelief as she flipped the CD over to the back cover. As she read over the track list, she responded.

"I thought this was old news," She answered, "I'm crashing at Charmy's place along with Noelle." He did know this, at least he felt like he should have known this. Yet his head ached as something in Yuno whispered ' _wrong, wrong, wrong_.' Gritting his teeth slightly, he forged on.

"How long have you been going to Clover Academy?"

"Well, I transferred in before you did."

"And when was that?"

Kahono froze for a moment as her fingers stilled from their tapping along the case. Slowly she put the CD down as she tried to recall out-loud. "Um, last year," she mumbled, sounding more unsure with each syllable. There was a pause, and she shook her head. Her hands tightened their grip on the case of music. "No," she corrected slowly, "Not last year…" She straightened up, running her right hand through her bangs. "When did I…?" she muttered before shaking her head once more. She turned back to face Yuno. "Does it matter when I transferred?" she asked as a frown made its way across her face. Yuno didn't answer, and if she was annoyed at the avoidance, she didn't say. Instead, Yuno followed the missing thread.

"Where were you before you moved to Clover City?"

"You know," She replied, "The small port town on an island near here." She rolled her eyes when Yuno stood silent, waiting for further clarification. "Templeton," she said dryly as she shifted her gaze sideways. She pressed her lips together as her eyes glazed over and lost in some distant memory. "It had become pretty quiet there," She hummed, "There wasn't much need for Magical Knights." Popping an earbud back in, she continued, "So when Charmy said things were rough here, I came over to help out."

"Have you gone back to Templeton lately?"

"Nope. Don't really have a reason to go back."

That wasn't a satisfying answer. Not when it felt like he was so close to getting a piece of the puzzle he sought. His heart pounded as impatience settled in and made his blood feel ablaze. Fingers twitching, he forced himself to get a hold of his nerves as he released his Soul Charm from his grasp. He took a deep breath as he waited for Kahono to face him again.

"Will you come with me to Templeton right now?"

Kahono made a startled noise at his demand that was somewhere between a cough and a rushed intake of air. "That was a little sudden," she wheezed. She pounded her chest slightly as she truly coughed to clear her throat. "And to do what?" she inquired.

"Nothing," He replied, "Just to go there." At her unconvinced look, he continued. "If it looks like the town you remember," He stated, "Then you'll have my apologies." That just earned him an eyebrow raise from her. "I just want to know," He admitted finally as he broke eye contact, "If this is all my own misunderstanding." He heard the girl sigh.

"You're paying for my ferry ticket, Yuno."

* * *

It could almost be considered an eerie scene as the two of them scanned their ferry tickets at the docks. The gates creaked open, and they boarded the small ship. "Huh," He heard Kahono say next to him, "Slow day, I guess." Which was an understatement. The boat was devoid of all signs of life except for the two of them. Yuno tried to ignore the shiver that threatened to go down his spine at the thought. Instead, he tried to focus on the sky in the dimming twilight as both of them sat in silence. The boat rocked as it stirred to life. A fog surrounded the vessel as it began to cut through the murky waters. He couldn't recall if the water had always been so cloudy.

After a couple minutes, Kahono let out a yelp of disbelief. As Yuno turned to her, she pointed towards Clover City. Following her line of sight, he saw what had surprised her. Instead of shrinking, the city was becoming larger. He glanced at the water trail behind them. According to the waves, they were still going forward. He went over to the side of the boat and dipped his fingers into the depths of the water. He could not feel a strong current going backwards either.

"What's going on?" Kahono murmured before she walked towards the captain's window. Waving her hand, she frowned as she got no response. She moved to go into the booth directly. Yuno stood up as well and let the inky waters flow past his fingers. Kahono had paused at the doorway as she looked into the quarters. He moved to join her at the entry.

Inside, the man was too lean to be considered a person as his dimensions matched more of a cardboard cut-out of a ferry captain than an actual one. Yet the thing moved with the steering wheel as it continued to keep the boat steady. It turned to look at the newcomers, and Yuno could feel his heart almost stop. It had no face either. It just a blank, black void of where one should be. It appeared like it was getting up, and that was when Kahono snapped out of her trance. She grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut. Backing up a few paces, she locked frantic eyes with Yuno. Oh, so she had seen that too.

"Let's get out of here," She said as she grabbed her soul necklace. Yuno nodded and did the same. The area was briefly lit up in a reddish purple hue as they transformed into their Magical Knight attire. Kahono summoned one of her sound barrier spells. She created a platform for her and Yuno to stand on as they jumped off the vessel. The boat continued traveling backwards until it all but disappeared into the mist before reaching the pier.

"I don't think it was in your head," Kahono whispered to him as her gaze stayed stuck where the boat had once been. Yuno didn't respond as he looked out towards the horizon. There was nothing. Not a hint of an island nor even an ocean. Everything past their point just…ceased to be. As if it was swallowed up into an abyss. The sky darkened as a moon, that was far, far too big to be real, rose. It felt like it was an eye watching them as it lit up the area where Kahono and he were standing on in a similar fashion to that of a spotlight. The moonlight mixed with the glow of their magic and gave an ominous sheen to the waters below.

"Is this…some kind of illusion?" Kahono asked softly as if she were afraid something was listening to them. She looked towards the horizon as well. "There's nothing even out there," she muttered. Gripping her grimoire, she turned to Yuno. "We have to tell the others," She declared as she moved to create more sound platforms back towards Clover City. Before she could summon her spells, Yuno interrupted her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," He said, "I don't think this is a simple trick." He glanced over at the void. "If it was," He continued, "There would be something past Clover City." He took his hand off her shoulder as the glow of her magic died down.

"So what do you think we should do?"

Yuno took a deep breath as the gears in his head turned. His headache was back. "It's too dangerous at the moment to tell the others," he concluded. He looked at the moon for a moment before continuing. "We have no idea who or what is watching us yet," He stated. Closing his eyes, he tried to grasp the thoughts rushing through his mind like a bullet train. It was easier than expected, but then again, he had been forcing his way through his memories for a couple weeks now. "I have an idea," He said as a particular memory replayed in his head, "Of who might be behind this."

* * *

 _It was small and green along with the fact that it appeared to look like that of a child with wings. It could have been a fairy straight out of the books Asta read to the little ones at home from time to time. Only this one was far from friendly. After all, he had seen it execute Charmy in front of him with ease. Giving him no time to grieve, the sprite closed the doors behind him. Locking him in its lair._

* * *

A maze without exit into which prey is lured and led astray. There was little doubt in his mind. This illusion was a Demon Labyrinth. That fact only cemented his now growing theory towards Bell as she was the only one amongst them capable of creating such a thing. The memory tampering was new, but he had never spent enough time with the Demon to get a full layout of her powers. He had always focused on the most effective way of getting rid of her, with or without Charmy's assistance.

Breaking out of his thoughts, he opened his eyes and looked at Kahono. "Could you keep this a secret for now?" he asked her. At the first sign of her beginning to protest, he quickly added, "There's something I want to investigate on my own first." Kahono closed her mouth and paused whilst frowning. He knew she didn't like the idea of him going off on his own by her expression. "I believe it will be safer," He offered, "If we pretend that we haven't discovered anything."

"The more obvious we are," He stated a bit sternly as the moon stopped rising, "The more likely we'll be hunted." Kahono's gaze focused on the moon before turning towards where the ship disappeared. Yuno nodded. "Like that trap on the boat," He explained, "Whoever it is doesn't want us revealing the truth." Curling one of his hands into a fist while the other clutched his grimoire tightly, he looked her in the eyes and concluded with, "Just leave things to me for now."

"And how are you so sure whoever, or whatever, isn't planning to hunt us right now?"

"We would have been attacked the moment we stepped off the boat."

That didn't seem to cure her fears as she flattened her lips in a grim line. Her tome continued to glow slightly in her hand as a response to the traces of dread Yuno could see swimming in her eyes. "If we keep playing along with them," He appeased, "I doubt we'll be in any danger." Kahono sighed as a light breeze ruffled her hair. She summoned her phone and put an earbud in her ear, obviously trying to cool her nerves.

"Okay, I get it."

Yuno nodded and gestured to Clover City. Raising her grimoire, she summoned several platforms leading them back into the pier. Kahono had schooled her expression and left nothing that Yuno could decipher. Not wanting to push her, he said nothing as they hopped back to the city in silence. Once on land, Yuno turned to go their separate ways. He assumed she wanted to be alone to process the information judging by the way that she was facing towards the pier, not registering his movement. He took a single step forward though and was stopped by Kahono's voice.

"Do you remember what we talked about in the music shop?"

Yuno turned to look at her, but she continued facing the water. The area around her brightened for a moment before dimming as she transformed back into her school uniform. Her Soul Charm was held lightly in the palm of her hand.

"Yeah? What about it?"

Kahono turned her head towards Yuno. She took a deep breath as her gaze switched to him. Her eyes swept over him approvingly.

"This is the first time you've matched the second impression I have of you."

She smiled at him, catching him off guard. That…wasn't what he had expected her to say. Yet this was the first time in a while that Kahono matched the impression he remembered of her as well.

"And this impression feels a lot more normal than the meek one."

Of that, he could agree. She tossed something at him. On instinct, he snatched it with his right hand. Opening his palm, he saw a white seashell. He looked up at her to see her walking away. She waved over her shoulder in a casual fashion, leaving him with her last words. He watched as she disappeared down the street and out of his sight. He should have explained more to Kahono, yet he couldn't help but hold his tongue until she was gone.

* * *

 _Yuno woke up in the bed at the hotel in the beginning of the next cycle with a new fire in his eyes. On his calendar, circled around the present date, the familiar words of 'Moving and New School' greeted him. His belongings were already at the Church, and he would be meeting Asta again at school soon. The blood-soaked vow he made to the other that rainy day echoed in his ears. How could he fulfill this promise?_

 _He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand but paused to look at them. No one would believe him about the future, if last time was anything to go off of. They wouldn't help him, and they wouldn't accept the truth about the future. Placing his glasses back down, Yuno grabbed his Soul Charm that hung around his neck and raised it to his eyes. It didn't matter if no one understood him. He would keep his oath. He would save Asta, even if he had to defeat every last Demon himself. Healing his eyes in a purple glow, Yuno made a new vow to himself: He wouldn't rely on anyone anymore._

* * *

Ah, that was right. If there was one truth he had ingrained into himself, it would be that no one would understand or believe him if he told them about their true reality. Not even Asta. His fingers twitched as he remembered that, in the end, he could only rely on himself. Unlocking his grimoire, he closed his eyes as he used his magic to fix his sight once more. Reaching up, he took off his glasses as a purplish glow swept over his body briefly. Opening his eyes, he spun on his heel and headed home to sort out his unraveling thoughts. He didn't spare the glasses a glance as he tossed them behind his back into the ocean. The side of him that sought protection from others was gone. He had killed it a long, long time ago.


	14. Rebellion: Part 5

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

 **Trigger warning toward the end of the chapter. Please read with caution if this affects you.**

* * *

"Memories are troublesome."

"Once I got one back, the other memories flooded in one after the other."

"I wish I could have gone on not remembering."

"Just how many people's hearts I have trampled on to this day."

* * *

Yuno laid in his bed as he let the returning memories run through him. Demons…were the final and accursed form of Magical Knights who had succumbed to their grief. They are the ones who spread despair and give rise to disaster. Sitting up, Yuno transformed into his Magical Knight attire in a quick burst of purple. Holding his grimoire between his hands, he let his mind wander to the times he had fought against them. Against one in particular.

With the return of his memories being the key, his book became truly unlocked. He dipped his hand into its pages and felt the now familiar swell of magic race between his fingertips. He half-dragged a pistol out before returning it to the storage within the tome. It was comforting to know he could still access in this labyrinth the arsenal he had spent countless time collecting in a forgotten world. Closing his book, he tightened his grip.

He shouldn't even have to be worried about fighting a Demon. The cycle of hope and despair had been broken when one boy had sacrificed himself entirely to do so. His wish brought about a new world order, but it seemed that within this façade of Clover City, his wish had been overturned. A Demon roamed free among the steel and concrete. What's worse is that it had the ability to implant false memories and warp their minds. Making them forget the price Asta had paid to give them back their lives.

Knocking brought Yuno out of his thoughts. Dismissing his magic form, he padded over to the door. Twisting the knob, he found Asta standing outside his entry. His stomach turned slightly as his brain reminded him that it was impossible for the other to be in front of him. He had seen the Universal Void swallow him whole. So what did that leave in front of him? An illusion the Demon sent to distract him?

His eyes drifted to Nero who was perched atop the other's head. Disgust overtook the unease in his heart. As much as he would like to fill the creature with bullets, it had done nothing to antagonize him within this place. The Demon was a higher threat on his priorities list. But once it was dealt with, he would be sure to confront the Incubator as well. He couldn't believe it had just been lazing about doing nothing this whole time.

It took him longer than he would like to admit in realizing Asta had been speaking to him from the moment he opened the door. Blinking, warmth began to slightly color his cheeks in embarrassment as he saw the other come to the same conclusion. Raising an eyebrow, Asta asked, "Are you feeling okay, Yuno?" Upon getting a nod in response, Asta reiterated, "I was saying that Charmy invited us over for tea." He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "Noelle took Kahono to a karaoke bar since she's apparently feeling down about something, so it'll be just the three of us if you come." Pausing, he blinked and amended, "Unless you count Bell and Nero."

Going anywhere to socialize was the last thing on Yuno's mind, especially not with everything he had recalled. But… Clutching his Soul Charm lightly between his fingers, he felt the hum of magic beneath his fingertips. At the same time… He couldn't just let the chance of confronting Bell slip through his grasp either. Inwardly sighing and preparing himself, he nodded to Asta.

"Lead the way."

* * *

"Yes, I recall Charmy Pappitson."

"I was never comfortable with her."

"She would always put on a strong front and push herself too hard."

"Despite having the softest heart of any of us."

"It always felt too cruel divulging the truth in front of her."

"It hurt me to do so."

* * *

They sat in Charmy's living room with the three of them gathered around her table. Amongst the piles of cookbooks covering her couch, Nero nested in some papers while he roosted. Just beyond the windows, the city was beginning to appear more distorted. The Demon was becoming desperate. Speaking of which… Yuno watched as Bell tugged on Charmy's hair when the girl finished setting out teacups and teacakes in front of the human trio. Rolling her eyes, she retrieved a smaller set for the Sprite to use.

"You and Bell really get along, don't ya?" Asta commented watching their exchange. He hummed as he took a swig of his tea, never really one for manners. Though, Charmy didn't seem to care as she woofed down a piece of cake.

"I would hope so," she said between bites, "I was with Bell way before I met any of you." She gestured to the pictures on the wall that showed the fond memories between the two of them. Bell tugged at her sleeve. She opened her hand as she continued gazing at the photos so the Demon could sit on her palm. "We've been best friends for what feels like forever," she concluded as Bell gave off a happy jingle in approval. This information caught Yuno's attention.

"Do you remember when you met Bell?" Yuno asked, trying to keep his tone to that of innocent interest. He had forgotten that the occupants in the room didn't have the same revelation as Kahono when they looked at him in their own versions of curiosity. They were still used to that meek illusion of him and probably his glasses. Maybe it had been a bad move to throw them into the ocean. He took another sip of tea as he fought to remain appearing casual to them.

Bell ended up responding to him by avoiding his question all together. She chimed at him in her bell-like tones in a way that sounded like it meant ' _Why do you ask_?' He forced a small smile onto his face and kept his tone light. He could only hope it appeared natural.

"I was just curious."

Whether Charmy suspected something or not, he didn't know. She stared at him for a couple seconds before leaning back to munch on a new slice of cake. She closed her eyes as she thought. "It feels like a long time ago now," She began between nibbles, "Back when I was the only Magical Knight in Clover City." She paused for a moment to swallow. "Bell was the only one around to support me," She continued, "And cheer me on." The Sprite chimed at the praise as she fluttered from Charmy's hand to her shoulder. "Without Bell," Charmy finished, "I believe I would have given up long ago." She patted the Demon on the head lightly with her fingertips.

"You're much stronger and braver than that, Charmy," Yuno told her sincerely as memories of all the battles she had led them through ran through his mind like a film reel. He swallowed the slight lump in his throat they left in their wake. The grip on his teacup had tightened in that time. Knowing what he was about to do to what she thought was her best friend didn't help the pit that was forming in his stomach either. Instead, he called upon another memory to give him the strength to betray her. Why it would be better to leave her out it until the end.

* * *

 _Noelle was gone, and the four of them watched numbly as the labyrinth disappeared. Asta fell to his knees with tears dripping down his face. Yuno couldn't recall a time he had seen Asta breakdown like this. "Dammit," Asta whispered with his voice rough from grief as a new wave of tears ran down his face, "How could this happen?"_

 _"It's horrible," Kahono sobbed beside Yuno, "This isn't right!" Yuno clenched his fists together. If only he had found a way to convince them that he was telling the truth sooner. Maybe Noelle would still be alive. Maybe-_

 _Suddenly, he was surrounded by cotton rope. Squeezing a gasp from him, it restrained him quickly, almost to the point of choking. Before Yuno could question Charmy, he heard the sound of her cotton sheep gun going off. Kahono's Soul Charm shattered near his side. Her final breath left her lungs, and she fell to the ground lifeless as her body returned to a human corpse. Seeing that, Yuno struggled in vain against his restraints._

" _Miss Pappitson?!"_

 _He looked to see tears streaming down his senior's face. Shakily, she held a cotton gun pointed in his direction. "If Soul Charms give birth to Demons," She sobbed hysterically, "Then we have no choice but to die, don't we?!" Yuno never could have imagine Charmy, who always appeared so confident and strong, to break to pieces in front of him. Tears continued to run down her face like sorrowful rivers as she straightened her aim. The ropes dug into his wrists and chest tighter at her declaration. They rubbed his skin raw as he frantically tried to free himself. "Both you," She cried out, "And me!"_

 _It was at that moment Asta was forced to save Yuno's life by ending hers._

* * *

"Thank you," Charmy smiled as she went for her third slice of cake. Bell floated down and passed her a teacup. "I may seem like the 'reliable senior Magical Knight' to you," She chuckled humorlessly as she grabbed the cup, "But that was only because I was forced to." Taking a swig, she continued, "And now, I can hardly believe I'm surrounded by so many friends that I can rely on." Finishing her tea, she looked at Yuno and Asta with a bright smile. "I don't have to push myself to the breaking point like I used to," She concluded with a genuine laugh, "I can focus on the important things, like this cake." Bell chimed at her from the table. "And Bell," Charmy added as she picked her up. The creature gave an appeased jingle at her actions.

Asta took a bite of his own piece of sweet. "Working together," He exclaimed, "It's like we can take down any Demon that comes our way!" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he admitted with a chuckle, "Plus I kinda enjoy fighting together with friends."

"Asta," Charmy scolded as Bell fluttered back to the table, "Fighting Incubuses isn't supposed to be fun." Asta just laughed again as he crossed both arms behind his head. "But I guess it's true," Charmy hummed as she leaned back to think, "In the old days before all of you, I used to think life like this, surrounded by food and friends, would be nothing more than a distant dream of a life." Bell refilled her tea cup as Charmy took a sip. "To think," She muttered, "A life bounded by the Magical Knight destiny could be so happy…" Shaking her head lightly, she added, "I couldn't even imagine such a thing back then."

It was almost too much. As she talked, her words brought forth unwanted memories of _that_ timeline, the one he had truly first met the two in. Even being in this room was almost too nostalgic for him to bare. When his mind went back like that, he could feel his resolve weakening as his chest began to tighten. He needed Charmy to leave. Whether it was because he didn't want to confront Bell in the same room as her, possibly breaking her heart for the hundredth time, or if it was because if she continued, Yuno could not. The past was _dead_ , and no matter how much he yearned for it, he could never repeat it. At least not in the ways he wanted.

He needed an excuse, anything. His eyes glanced down at his now empty teacup. That would do. He put his cup down on the plate with a light _clank_. "Charmy," He asked lightly, "Can I have some more tea?" Charmy nodded and moved to grab the teapot. She frowned as she realized the kettle was empty.

"Oh," She pouted, "Out of tea." Standing up, she moved Bell to the couch behind her as she took the teapot with her. The creature jingled at her before returning to the middle of the table. "It'll just take a minute," She explained, "I'll go boil some water and bring a couple sweets while we wait." He smiled as pleasantly as he could when she passed him. He waited until she rounded the corner of the apartment towards her kitchen and was then out of sight.

Yuno clutched his Soul Charm as a purple light began to leak between his fingers. Asta was startled by the mana that appeared as he transformed into his Magical Knight attire. The other's hands grasped his own Soul Charm as he surveyed the area. But he paused when he saw nothing out of the ordinary. "What's wrong?" Asta asked him as a frown made its way onto his expression.

"Sorry, Asta," Yuno apologized honestly as he opened his grimoire. The world around him grew still as the familiar sound of flipping pages began. His tome floated at his side as he slowly rose. He observed the two other occupants of the room and made note of their positions. Just in case Bell should try something. Nero was still roosting on the corner of the couch asleep. Asta sat in front of him with concern etched on his features. He ignored the guilt that tried to pool in his chest at that. He moved around the table so his back would be towards the windows rather than the others.

Leaning over the table, Yuno grabbed Bell by the wings. He pinched them together much like one would do to capture a butterfly. The Demon squirmed uncomfortably as she made a series of displeased bell noises. "Shall we end this farce?" Yuno asked her bitterly while anger began to warm his tone. At this, Bell made a confused chime sound. "I've remembered," He pressed, "What you really are." Bell responded with another confused jingle. Losing most of his patience, Yuno cut to the chase. "Our memories have been rewritten," He stated sternly, "And we have become trapped in a Demon Labyrinth made to look Clover City." He tightened his grip on Bell's wings which made her twitch. "The only one who could have done that," He concluded harshly, "Is you, Bell."

Bell squirmed out of his grasp for a second, but the creature had likely forgotten that he had frozen time. Her form went still after a brief moment of freedom as the time freeze caught up with her. Her body was pulled down by gravity for a second before Yuno snatched her whole in his hand the next. "What do you want with us?" He inquired with his voice growing colder. The Demon twisted in his grasp though she never ceased in letting out her lost chimes. "What is so enjoyable about toying with us?" He questioned as his eyes narrowed. Bell tossed her head sideways as if to signal behind Yuno. He glanced in the direction she was frantically pointing at, but he saw only Asta.

The flicking of pages and his traitorous heart reminded him that he only had so much time to do this interrogation. His eyes flickered over towards the kitchen briefly. As things were, the chances of Charmy walking in on him were increasing with each frozen second. Clenching his teeth, Yuno dropped Bell. He watched as she froze in time faster than she could react to. Then he walked over to the windows and opened them.

He turned back and grabbed Bell. She gasped in pain when he gripped her body too tight. Hopping out the window, he made his way downtown. He hoped to put as much distance between him and Charmy's apartment before he was forced to recall his time magic.

* * *

When he came to a rundown section of the city, he landed on the nearest bridge and set about surveying the land around him. It was clear the demon's illusion was fading as the buildings nearby lay abandoned and in ruins. Glancing down, it appeared these structures also faded into nothingness. Or perhaps they would loop if one was to fall down into the void. He looked back towards the direction he had just came from. Charmy's apartment wasn't in sight. This place would do.

Slamming Bell against a pillar of the brick structure, he snapped, "What are you trying to achieve?" The creature jingled in fear as Yuno increased his grip once more. He was growing tired of not getting answers. Before he could press the Demon for more information, he felt a familiar tug of magic on his right ankle. Alarmed, his head snapped down to see what he had been snagged by. For a brief moment, he caught sight of Charmy's cotton sheep-scarf spell before he was dragged forcefully over the bridge's edge. Never letting go of Bell, he raised his free arm to catch himself on whatever debris he could touch.

Hand reaching out, he caught himself on a broken steel beam of a destroyed building. Looking around, he saw the twists and weaves of Charmy's magic in the form of a long scarf line that practically painted where he had been. Inwardly he cursed himself for not noticing that she had hooked him in the apartment. Not to mention, she had probably been listening to every word he had said in her home. He glanced around the area for an escape route, but he saw that Charmy had laid out more ropes like a spider's web. He was trapped.

"I was going to wait and listen," Charmy explained, "Until I understood what the situation was." Yuno's attention turned in the direction of the voice's owner. She stood opposite of him in the chasm that the building's ruins had created. Charmy's eyes were closed as she held the ends of the scarves in her hand. She kept herself angled slightly away from him until she felt his gaze on her. She opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder slightly at him while saying, "But I won't let you hurt Bell any more than you already have."

"You've been following us from the start," Yuno stated more to himself in frustration as she confirmed his theory. His lips pressed together in near annoyance at himself. He _really_ should have noticed her sooner. Bell squirmed once more, but he held his grip. Yuno raised his head as he was determined to maintain her gaze even if there was a small part of him wincing at the guilt festering inside his chest. He had never liked revealing the truth to Charmy. He could never recall a time where it had ended well, for either of them.

"What's going on?" Charmy demanded. Yuno could feel her tug on the line that was connected to the scarf wrapped around his ankle. Apparently, she didn't have much patience left for the situation either. Yet her voice remained calm as she pressed, "What are you accusing Bell of?"

Yuno took a deep breath as he tried to calm his nerves. His chest felt tight as he admitted, "You're being tricked by Bell." If he had a free hand, he would have gestured to the world around them that was beginning to resemble a cartoon more and more as the Demon's façade broke apart bit by bit. "This is not the real Clover City," He called out.

The brick wall of the bridge was no longer covered in ivy crawling between the cracks of its foundations nor in colors of rusted red and purple. Instead, silhouettes of people and of burning flags danced behind them. The Demon had indeed dropped the illusion. "All of us have been implanted with false memories!" Yuno exclaimed, as he hoped against hope that Charmy would actually accept the truth for once. But fate was never that kind, even when the proof was right in front of her.

"What's happened to you, Yuno?" Charmy murmured as she let out a confused gasp. She turned to face him fully with bewilderment written in her features. Yuno resisted the urge to bite his lip in frustration. She would never believe him. The only way out of this was to destroy the Demon and thus its labyrinth. He hoped she could forgive him for what he had to do.

Turning away, his grimoire snapped shut as the world around them jolted to life. Behind him, the wall had once again changed. This time, it was showcasing information that confirmed Bell to be a Demon with pictures of everything from her true name to her attacks. But Yuno wasn't counting on the flashing wall of evidence to convince Charmy. That had been one of the only constants he had encountered during his life in the time loops. But this cycle, he would force her to see the truth. He threw the Demon, who let out a startled bell noise in response. His tome fell to his free hand. Reaching in, he grabbed a semi-automatic handgun and shot at the creature.

Charmy was faster than Yuno in reaction time as Bell was wrapped up in a sheep scarf and pulled to safety before the bullet could meet its mark. Once Bell was in her hand, she released the creature from her magic. "Run, Bell," Charmy commanded as she tensed for a fight. Said Demon made an effort to fly away, but Yuno wasn't going to have it. He wasn't going to let her get away when he was so close to ending this. Charmy blinked in surprise as time froze once more.

Yuno flipped over the steel beam as he landed on it in a crouching position so he was no longer dangling below. He shot at the scarf on his foot, and he was annoyed to see the magic repair itself. It seemed he wouldn't be able to get rid of it until he wore Charmy's magic down. And guessing by the way she was focusing on him with a mix of perhaps disappointment and determination, she would push herself to the very limits if they fought. But the only way to continue was to defeat her and break the link. Still, he tested one last time to see if there was any way he could avoid this battle. "Do you mean to protect her, no matter what?" He asked.

"Don't even think of chasing Bell," Charmy countered as she avoided answering him directly, "Otherwise, you and I are in for a fight." Yuno frowned and fought back his own disappointment. Inwardly, he reminded himself that he knew this was the expected outcome. Neither of them backed down as the silence became deafening. He threw his handgun into his grimoire as he stood. Then he lunged at her with Charmy jumping to meet him.

Reaching into his tome, he grabbed a modified assault rifle and fired at her. Charmy summoned her circle of miniature cotton cannons and returned fire. Around them, lines of the ammunitions' paths began carving through the sky. The attacks split the air around them and left a light trail before being suspended in time. Each shot was met with another. If it wasn't for his time magic, each attack would have collided and ricocheted off one another. Before long, the two of them had created a far deadlier web of bullets and cotton bombs than the one Charmy had weaved in her haste to stop Yuno.

He released his time magic as the space between him and Charmy grew too hazardous. The world roared to life as the attacks crashed into each other. They created a blast of sparks as the fragments from their collisions broke pieces of ruins they struck. Unhappily, Yuno backed off and crouched behind a broken column as some of the explosions were too close for comfort. Charmy was unfazed by the destruction around her as she forged on. She unleashed a new barrage of bombs at the column where he was taking shelter.

He quickly ducked to the side and leaped at her. Twisting in the air to avoid the collisions' blasts around him as cotton met metal once more, he watched as Charmy did the same. Dismissing her cannons, she used bits of scarves to weave her way through the battlefield quickly. From the corner of his eye, he could see the light of Bell twirl in the air as the creature spun to avoid being hit. Yuno jumped to the side in pursuit with Charmy mirroring his movements at the other side. Looking ahead, he saw a spot where he could intercept Bell.

The two of them crossed gazes. Yuno immediately aimed his gun at her with Charmy summoning a cotton cannon to fire in kind. Bell's glow rushed towards them. Not wanting to miss the Demon a second time, time froze. For a split second before Yuno open-fired with the hope that at least one of his rounds would hit the creature, he could see the hesitance in Charmy's eyes as she returned fire. The blasts from both of their weapons sent the two Magical Knights falling backwards as the motion lines of their ammo reached towards the sky. They caught themselves on lower tiers of the broken bridges and structures and never paused to stop firing at one another during their descent.

A couple close blasts had Yuno on the defensive as Charmy had once again summoned her cannon circle to force him to withdraw. He jumped back as he fired off as many rounds as he could. He hoped it would provide the cover that he needed while he retreated to gain more distance between him and his pursuer. Charmy didn't let up though. She rapid summoned her rope to propel her between the broken bridge arches. She continued to chase Yuno as she created and fired her cannon circle in the moments of free fall between each swing.

Over the noise of gunfire and cannon blasts, Yuno heard Charmy call out. "It seems we can read one another too well," She stated as she let lose another cannon. "At this rate," She added, "We'll just end up repeating ourselves."

"You think repeating myself bothers me?" Yuno snapped back as he fired another volley of bullets at her. Charmy dismissed her cannons as she swung out of the way. All too quickly though, her cannons were back and blasting their ammo at him.

"Then you really think you can take me in an equal fight?" She countered above the roar of bullets. Yuno gritted his teeth as he rolled to dodge a couple cotton bombs. Throwing his current gun away as he used the last of its magazine, he reached into his grimoire to grab a fully loaded one.

"In terms of endurance," He stated with clenched teeth, "I'm better." He followed his statement with a couple rounds aimed in her direction. Charmy swung back as she kept her distance to avoid the new attack. "And just for the record," He added as he continued his assault, "I _hate_ losing."

Like a tornado of cotton and metal, the two continued to circled each other in a deadly dance of bullets and bombs. Charmy returned Yuno shot for shot, but she was forced to switch sides as new rubble began to get between them. Yuno fought with himself as he bit back the rising annoyance within himself at having the same problem. It was becoming a hassle to constantly jump to new angles just to keep her in his sights. As much as Yuno hated to admit it, he was running out of ground as Charmy's attacks forced him to seek lower and lower levels of the ruins. Turning back wasn't an option as he could see the spider webs of motion paths behind him. Not to mention, he could feel her slowly forcing her way closer while Yuno increased the rate of his attacks. Their stalemate met its climax as Yuno tossed his gun and reached for a new one.

In the split second of no fire, Charmy propelled herself forward using her scarves as springs. Yuno grabbed another assault rifle with the intent on firing to force her back. But the muzzle of his gun met the muzzle of her cannon head on as a large _clang_ echoed throughout the battle fields. Yuno fired a round as Charmy swerved to dodge. Her momentum forced her to land right in front of him. He swung his gun down as he fired another shot. Charmy knocked both his gun and him off-balance as she countered his attack by slamming her weapon into his.

In the split second he tumbled, he found himself facing the barrel of her cannon. His heart raced as he instinctively ducked out of her line of fire. He pointed his own rifle at her as her attack's blast had forced her to fall back slightly. She leaned back into the blast's momentum as she narrowly dodged Yuno's bullet. Using the additional force, she was able to rise just enough to kick his gun out of the way despite her short legs. Then using the motion of her own actions to correct herself, she twisted her cannon and returned fire.

Yuno spun quickly out of the ammo's path and knocked her weapon back with his own. Though that forced him to bend down slightly, he still managed to fire a couple rounds at her. Charmy mirrored his move as she eluded his attack and knocked his rifle away once more with her cannon. She fired two shots that Yuno narrowly managed to dodge. Unfortunately, he had put too much force into moving backwards to evade her assault. He tripped and was sent falling onto his back.

On the way down, he caught Charmy off guard for a single frozen second as he kicked the cannon out of her hand. He had the shot lined up, but his traitorous heart hesitated for a moment too long. Charmy had already recovered and summoned two cotton cannons into her hands to replace the one he had managed to punt away. He quickly rolled to the side and onto back his feet as two shots nearly nicked his ear. Running more on instinct than actual thought, he jumped down a nearby cliff. He didn't care particularly in the moment how far down it was, so long as it created some distance between him and Charmy.

Pointing his rifle up, he began rapid firing at the girl who had dived into the chasm to pursue him with her cannon circle already armed and returning fire. The dark abyss was only lit up by their weapon's blasts until Yuno moved out of the ruin's shadow. His foot met a broken steel beam, and he used his falling momentum to kick off and leap towards Charmy. He aimed towards one of the gaps her cannon circle had as he caught the Magical Knight off-guard again in the process.

A hurricane of bullets and cotton flew through the air. The two of them tussled in the close quarters as they continued their descent. Neither one getting a blow on the other as they were forced to circle each other to dodge the other's volley of ammunition. Behind them, they left a tight crisscrossing path of shells like a ticking time bomb. Trying to change tactics, Yuno ducked to the side as Charmy mirrored his action. He kicked off another broken column back towards her as he fired his weapon rapidly in the hopes one of the rounds would slow her down. It never did as she returned each of Yuno's shots blow for blow.

The two of them skid to a stop as they avoided outright crashing into one another. Charmy leaned back to avoid the motion paths of three bullets with a cotton cannon still grasped tightly in her fingers. Yuno, on the other hand, pointed his gun down at her, though he had landed in a slight crouching position. The slightest twitch would send him into the firing line of a cotton bomb. Charmy wasn't in a much better position as she stood pointing her remaining cannon up at him. If she moved a muscle, a bullet would slice her neck. Neither one dared to fire their weapon, and the only sound heard in the tense atmosphere was the two of them trying to catch their breath.

Yuno released his time magic though he never took his eyes off Charmy. He felt, more than heard, the blast of hundreds of rounds colliding with each other. The sparks of the blasts themselves lit up the area around them like fireworks. The sound of broken glass and stone filled the air as fragments of the shells began to hit the city ruins like hail from hell. The rumble of destruction roared beneath their feet.

Despite this, Charmy never waivered. She kept a smug smile on her face as bullet after bullet passed her, missing at times by mere centimeters. Yuno glared but didn't dare move as he felt the discharge of rounds echoing just a breath away from his ear. The platform around him crumbled to pieces. Dust spread through the air while, in the distance, several structures collapsed after the barrage of attacks. It coated the two of them in a grimy fog.

When the air cleared, the two of them remained in their previous positions. Charmy was the first to lower her cotton cannon as she said, "This is getting us nowhere." And Yuno loathed to admit she was right as he threw his empty gun away. He needed a new tactic and fast.

* * *

 _"I couldn't ask you to fight demons with a fragile, normal human body," Nero said, "A Magical Knight's old body is nothing more than a piece of external hardware." Nero looked towards the traffic for a moment before returning its attention to the group. "Your actual soul is given a much safer, hardier form," Nero enlightened, "That can be used to control magic much more efficiently." The incubator fluffed up its feathers nonchalantly. "It's part of my job," Nero stated, "When I complete a Magical Knight's contract." Unaffected by the horror his audience was portraying, Nero finished with, "I take your souls and change them into Soul Charms."_

* * *

For once, he hoped Nero wasn't full of hot air. Charmy straightened in preparation as time froze once more. Slowly, Yuno lowered himself until he was kneeling on one knee. His grimoire floated closer as he grabbed a handgun from it. He felt the scarf on his ankle tighten as Charmy inhaled. She was waiting for him to strike at her, but, instead, he brought the barrel to his temple.

Charmy shifted in shock as a gasp left her mouth. Yuno bit his lip. He hated having to do this in front of her, but he wasn't seeing any other option. His heart pounded in fear as he reached over with his other hand to steady his aim. It would be fine. It would be _fine_. Charmy would think he was dead, and the moment she released him from her magic, he would heal himself and escape. But of course, Charmy had to interfere.

"Don't!" Charmy shrieked as he fired. She pulled on the scarf and knocked him sideways. The bullet grazed his forehead as the motion of being tripped propelled him down. He heard her call his name. Thinking fast, he brought his chained leg into the path of the bullet. It sliced through, and with Charmy's concentration broke, it didn't repair itself in time to keep herself tied to Yuno.

That had been too close for comfort. He fell on his hands and knees while he breathed heavily. It wasn't what he originally planned, but it accomplished his goal none the less. That's what he told his thumping heart at least. He gathered his nerves as he curled his fingers into fists to stop their trembling. The left side of his face was coated in blood and made his vision blur slightly. It wasn't tears. It _wasn't_.

He turned his head towards Charmy. She had been frozen with her arm outstretched towards Yuno and was surrounded by broken bits of scarf and the proof of Yuno's wound. Slowly, Yuno stood up and grabbed the gun that had been thrown beside him in the fall. Almost on autopilot, he aimed it towards her Soul Charm on her bun. Even though he tried not to, his gaze observed Charmy's stilled expression. There was no contempt in her eyes. Instead, she had frozen in a mixture of pure terror and concern that made the pit in his stomach grow ten sizes. Pressing his lips together, he blinked and brought his other hand up to push his aim down at her knee. Just enough of a wound to disable her.

His fingers trembled as hesitation seeped into his bones. Gritting his teeth, he forced his hands to steady and fire. The bullet froze a mere millimeter from her leg. Yuno turned his head to the side as he didn't want to see her painful screams. The world flashed into motion.

The bullet went through her knee, but the sound was of cotton. Blinking in surprise, Yuno had no plan of action when Charmy's body transformed into scarves of cotton. He fired bullets at the cotton storm in vain as it surrounded him. He felt his arms get pinned back as a sheep creation enveloped him. He struggled but found he could not break out of its hold. The sheep jumped up and brought him on top of a crumbling platform where Charmy stood waiting.

"Your magic is really fearsome," She told him as her grimoire glowed a luminous yellow in front of her. In the tone she used that was reserved for any of her rare lectures after battles, she added, "But it's dangerous to always consider your position superior to your opponent's." Yuno broke the eye contact between the two of them as he couldn't stand seeing the cold disappointment in her gaze. The emptiness of loss filled his chest. Or perhaps it was the bitterness that even after all the timelines he had traveled, Charmy would always be one of the only obstacles he couldn't remove. Why couldn't she see the truth, just once?

"Charmy," He asked exhaustedly, "Do you really not sense anything?" Desperately, he raised his voice. "You don't feel anything odd about this world?" He pressed as he nearly begged her to try to understand. Why couldn't she ever realize?

"You didn't shoot to kill," Charmy said evenly instead as she let out a small sigh. Yuno thrashed in the sheep's hold as he tried once more to break free. "It would seem," She added as she restrained him further with scarves, "You care for my well-being in some regard as well." She crossed her arms across her chest. Her eyes narrowed as Yuno found escape impossible now. "So why," She asked with her own voice raising ever so slightly, "Did you attack Bell?"

"She's a Demon!" Yuno shouted urgently as he attempted in vain to get through to her, "The enemy of Magical Knights!" His chest tightened as he saw no recognition on her face. "Please remember," He pleaded finally as something in him crumbled. Charmy shook her head as his heart sunk. Why was it that she never _listened_ to him, in any timeline?

"I don't know anything about these 'Demons,'" Charmy said crossly. Her eyebrow raised just a tad and proved that Yuno's point wasn't getting through. Perhaps she thought he was going crazy. Maybe he was. "Our enemies are Beasts, right?" She corrected. Yuno's eyes widened at the same time as Charmy's did. Did she…? "That's right," the girl said slowly, "I've been fighting Beasts all this time…" She grasped her chin as she began to ponder. "But then," she muttered more to herself than her captive, "What are these Incubuses?"

The sky flashed as a circlet appeared that resembled the hellish halo Yuno had burned into his memory from the back of Walpurgisnacht. Before either of them could process what was happening, a fire extinguisher was launched at Charmy. Both of them took out a surprised intake of air as a water sword pierce the extinguisher and created a make-shift smoke screen. And by the time the mist cleared, Yuno was gone.


	15. Rebellion: Part 6

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

He felt four slices cut the cotton binding around him, and two arms grabbed him from his sides. It missed the scarves, but perhaps that was on purpose. He felt himself be thrown over his rescuer's shoulder via fireman's style. He saw the white of her cape before her silver hair. He blinked in surprise as it sunk in that _Noelle_ had saved him.

He wasn't sure where Noelle was taking him though as she weaved along the tops of large panels he had never seen before. When they came upon a fork in the pathway, she dropped down and tossed him off her shoulder. As they fell, she finally cut the cotton scarves constricting him. Noelle returned her sword to her grimoire as she bent her knees to absorb the force of her landing. She stood facing away from him. Yuno flipped to avoid hitting the ground. He landed just a couple steps behind in a crouch with his back facing her. The puddles on the ground making a _splashing_ sound at their entrance.

"What on Earth are you –"

"Honestly!" Noelle interrupted which made Yuno snap his mouth shut. "What were you thinking taking her on when she's in peak form?" Noelle asked rhetorically as she crossed her arms behind her head, a habit no doubt picked up from Asta. She glanced at him from over her shoulder. "You're either really dumb," She stated, "Or full of yourself." She let out a huff of air. "You're just as bad as _him_ sometimes," She commented. Yuno tried to ignore the stab at his pride her words created.

"I wasn't looking for a fight with Charmy," He reasoned as he turned his head away. "Though looking back now, it was unavoidable," He added, "Even if it wasn't my intention." The distant light in the horizon from the sun was fading as the stars filled the scene above them. He paused slightly as the night's shadow fell over him before continuing, "It wasn't her I was after." Before he could admit who, Noelle beat him to the punch.

"It was Bell, right?" She asked in a tone that suggested she wasn't expecting an answer. When he proved her right by remaining silent, she added, "Because she used to be a Demon?" His ears rang from her words, and he looked back to see her facing forward again. She was, however, twirling her hand mindlessly in the air in a mock casual fashion. "I can't believe you jumped to that conclusion so fast," She snorted, but Yuno didn't care.

"You…remember everything?" He inquired in disbelief. Noelle froze as if she just realized her own slip of tongue. Her hand returned to its partner as she interlocked her fingers once more behind her head.

"That's my role," She replied. Kicking her feet back and forth as she disturbed the water below, she continued. "Don't you find it _odd_ ," Noelle probed, "That a Demon would go through this much trouble?" Yuno blinked at her wording and wondered if Kahono had kept her word to him or not. "It just keeps us here," Noelle clarified, "Without killing or attacking a single human." She hummed.

"Does that sound like the Sprite Demon you remember?" She asked Yuno as she turned to meet his eye. It didn't. When Yuno didn't respond, she added, "You would have realized it if you had stopped to think for a moment." His chest tightened as his mind went back to comb through all the clues he found. Yuno stood up as she continued. "What you should have been asking was," She enlightened, "'Who benefits the most from the way things are?'" Fear took over his limbs as he found himself calling out to his grimoire. Something in his head was begging him to stop listening and end the conversation.

Faster than he could react, Noelle struck out as she slammed a sword in between two pages of his book to prevent it from pausing time. "Going to run away into your own time again?" Noelle asked mockingly as her cape settled behind her form. "That's a bad habit of yours," She lectured as Yuno stood shocked that she had stopped his spell. "You depend on that magic too much," She added evenly. Forced to play her game, Yuno swallowed the lump growing in his throat.

"So you're saying that the person who wished for this is one of us?"

"Does that really surprise?" Noelle countered as she shifted her weight. "Earlier," Noelle told him, "Charmy had said this was the happiest she had ever been." Yuno tried to keep the surprise from showing on his face. Had she been at the apartment? Not waiting for Yuno's response, Noelle forged on. "Do you think Charmy's the Demon?" She asked in a tone that didn't indicate whether she was being serious or not.

Keeping his voice steady, Yuno replied with, "Demons are the final forms of Magical Knights." He couldn't help but narrow his gaze slightly. "So yes," He answered, "I suppose it's possible." Noelle didn't appear shocked by his answer. If the slight huff was anything, she expected it.

"So what will you do when you find the Demon?"

"Well, that…should be obvious."

"You'll kill them," Noelle proclaimed, "For being a Demon." Yuno's eyes widened as a memory, that had been trapped in his mind, broke through. As it played, he could feel his heart beat faster.

* * *

 _They were all shaken by the fact Noelle had transformed in front of them into a Demon. Her labyrinth had taken over the train station and transformed it to appear like a child's room. The walls were lined with a misty mimicry of animal wall paper depicting eagles. Crosses that carried three main silhouettes littered the ground as a few silvery eagles, almost mercury in color, sat perched on them. In the center of the room was a clam-shaped bed that was surrounded in water. Multiple underlings appearing as torn-up toy rabbits danced around at the bed's feet. On the center of the bed, a Demon taking the shape of a deep-blue sea-dragon laid with clovers as its scales. The Demon saw them and let out a painful roar as it sent wave after wave of attacks._

 _"What the heck are you?!" Kahono cried out as she dodged slices of water being thrown at her. "What have you done to Noelle?!" She added as she reflected a few attacks. Asta dodged behind her and narrowly missed being hit by the ones she had let escape._

 _"Noelle, stop!" He called out as a spell nicked his ankle, "Please, remember!" He fell to the ground and had to roll quickly to avoid being cut into ribbons. "I know you never wanted to hurt anyone, Noelle," Asta tried again before taking an attack to the torso. This barrage had knocked him off balance while his weapon flew from his hands._

 _Running on instinct, Yuno's grimoire froze time. Grabbing Asta's shoulder, he watched as the other unfroze in confusion. Before the other could react properly, Yuno shoved him out of the wave of the oncoming volley. Letting go, he let the other freeze in time once more. There was no reason Asta had to completely see what Yuno was about to do to his best friend. Pulling out a bomb, Yuno whispered out an apology. To Noelle or Asta, he didn't fully know._

* * *

Noelle smirked and finally backed off. She removed her sword, but Yuno was no longer calling upon his magic as the memory temporarily had drained him of motivation. He tried to focus on the fact that the ground was filling with water to tie him to the present. Noelle didn't comment on his state while she marched past him and kicked up water droplets with her sword.

"Tell me," She inquired, "Is this place really so bad?" She spun around with her arms wide as water twirled around her. "We don't have to fight amongst ourselves," She marveled, "In fact we all combine our powers to work together and just… live." She reached out to touch one of the bubbles her movements had created. The moon rose behind her and gave the scene a ghostly gleam. "Is the heart that wished for this," She pondered out-loud, "Really so sinful that it has to be destroyed?" That snapped Yuno out of his trance.

"Are you siding with a Demon?!"

"They are the Magical Knight's final form, as you said," Noelle said airily as she twirled her sword again, almost mockingly, "I can't help but sympathize." Yuno narrowed his eyes as he didn't believe that was her reasoning. Or well, _knowing_ that wasn't her reasoning.

"Earlier you asked me if I noticed anything odd," Yuno began. He met Noelle's gaze. She stood smirking opposite of him and gave no signs of any intention to move away. "The creatures Charmy remembered fighting were Beasts," Yuno continued as he made sure to keep his tone even, "And Kahono did not recall the concept of labyrinths." His fingers twitched. "I thought it was because our memories had been tampered with," He admitted as he forced himself to remain calm, "But that wasn't the case, now that I think about it." It was getting harder to maintain his breathing at a smooth pace. "It wasn't that the two of them had forgotten," He clarified, "It was that neither of them ever knew about Demons to begin with."

* * *

 _"Demons?" Kahono asked him skeptically, "What are you talking about?" She raised an eyebrow in concern as she observed him. "Are you feeling okay?" She questioned slowly, "You seem a little pale." Reaching into her pocket, she snagged out an earbud. "Look," She said, "I'll go on the Beast patrol with Charmy tonight. You obviously need some rest."_

* * *

 _"All Magical Knights vanish before their Soul Charms can shatter," Charmy said as she nibbled on a scone, "Everyone who is a Magical Knight knows that." Scratching her cheek and licking off the extra frosting from her finger, she added, "And the Law of Cycles has existed since the beginning of Magical Knights. Just ask Nero." Turning her gaze to him, she asked, "Do you want me to make you some tea? Perhaps the stress is just getting to you." With a sigh, she finished off her scone and said, "We've all been a little stressed since the Law of Cycles took Noelle away."_

* * *

"Yes," He muttered to himself, "Demons no longer exist in this universe." He blinked and brought his focus back to the girl in front of him. "The Law of the Cycles takes the souls of Magical Knights before they become Demons," He stated. Narrowing his eyes at her, he continued with, "And I remember that Cycle taking you away." Straightening up, he concluded, "And since that's the case, the Noelle Silva of this world should have no memories of Demons either." His grimoire glowed a bright purple as he grabbed a pistol from it. Taking aim, he hissed out, "So who are you?"

Noelle held her hands out pacifyingly as she dismissed her sword. "I'm the same Noelle Silva you've always known," She replied as the water shifted below him. His eyes switched focus to see the water reflecting the universe. In the center of the reflection, stemming from Noelle, was her Demon form. The deep-blue sea-dragon swam beneath their feet. Yuno sucked in a breath of air before firing at her. She dodged his attack. "You sure have gotten more impatient," She said dryly, "I expected at least another speech before you open fired." She met his gaze. "And you don't look shocked to see it either," She observed, "So I take it you remember everything."

"It was _his_ wish that all Demons be erased," Yuno replied, "And from that wish, the Cycle was born." He cocked his gun at Noelle again, but he didn't fire immediately this time. "Your Demon form shouldn't even exist," He reiterated, "So who _are_ you?"

"You truly do remember Asta," Noelle said softly as she ignored his question. Her response made Yuno frown as he tightened his grip on his gun. Technically, Yuno should be the only one to remember Asta. So her answer was only making her more suspicious in his eyes. Noelle, on the other hand, looked at him with something more akin to sympathy than pity. Despite the fact he had traveled through all the different timelines, this was the first time he had seen her look at him with such an expression. Yuno didn't diminish his grip. "Relax," Noelle sighed as she messed with one of her ponytails, running her fingers through the locks. "I wasn't lying," She insisted, "I am Noelle Silva."

"Let's say I believe you," Yuno pressed as his head began to ache, "Why are you here?" Against his better judgement, he lowered his gun but didn't release it. Pressing his lips together, he asked, "And why…?" Pausing as he took a deep breath to settle his nerves, he continued, "And why would you create an illusion of Asta?"

Now Noelle was looking at him with pity. "Come on," She murmured, "Think, Yuno." She met his gaze with an unknown emotion swimming in her eyes. "I think you know Asta better than anyone," She professed, "Did he feel fake to you?" Yuno's heart pounded as his eyes widened at her words. Not giving him a chance to respond, she turned around so her back was facing him. "As for why I'm here," She drawled, "I have both work and personal reasons."

She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Let's just say there's something out there preventing me from doing my job," She explained as she gestured to the world around them, "And I don't know if it's watching so I can't risk telling you anything." Facing forward again, she concluded, "As for personal, I promised someone a duet."

Yuno dismissed his gun, but before he could say anything, Noelle pressed on. "Look," She said as she tilted her head up slightly towards the sky, "I'm not the one that you want to be asking these kinds of questions to." A breeze blew by and caught her cape. "Besides," She added, "Time's almost up," Her cape enveloped her, and Yuno could sense her presence begin to disappear as the water began to dry up.

"W-wait!" He called as he reached out to grab her. His hand caught the cape, and he yanked back. However, Noelle was gone. He looked around but saw no traces of her. As he lowered his arm, he heard her voice whisper in his ear.

" _You haven't answered my question."_

" _What are you going to do when you find the Demon?"_


	16. Rebellion: Part 7

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

The Church was quiet as Yuno stepped inside the empty chapel. At the altar, in place of the regular stone, was a new slab. At least it was new to Yuno, who couldn't recall if it looked the same as before or not. Etched into the new stone was a faint impression of Asta's other form, his 'God' form. Yuno bit his lip. The Demon was mocking him.

Walking to the statue, Yuno sat on the small step with his back facing the altar, and he clasped his hands together more in thought than prayer. This city was fake, a labyrinth ruled by a cruel Demon. The stone behind him was proof, a silent monument to Yuno's failures. More so were the experiences Yuno had. It was dangling everything he had wanted in front of him, and then waited until he got comfortable to pull the wool from his eyes.

"Forsaking our duty to battle the Beasts," He muttered out-loud, "Such weakness should be unforgivable." The price all Magical Knights paid for their own miracle was the solemn duty to protect the world, to always fight. As he turned back towards the altar slab, Yuno murmured quietly, "Because of that fate, you gave up everything." And this farce was just spitting on and tarnishing that sacrifice. He wouldn't allow it to continue any longer.

Unable to help it, Yuno reached a hand out and touched the stone tablet. Asta. His dearest friend. Yuno couldn't protect him, but he could protect his last gift to the world. Pulling his hand back, Yuno jolted when he realized that he had left a bloody handprint in his wake. Looking down at his palms, he could see they were still soaked from his fight with Charmy. In fact, in the dim light of the room, they appeared almost black.

* * *

Yuno walked into the kitchen and turned on the sink. He washed his hands under the cool liquid until the water no longer turned red with rust. Then he grabbed a dish towel and began wetting it. Wiping his face, he grimaced in the pain as he felt the cloth brushed over his wound. Dipping the towel under the water again, he scrubbed his face until he was sure there wasn't a trace of blood left.

Sighing, he grabbed his Soul Charm from around his neck and brought it towards his face. He felt a healing aura surround him as the pounding in his temple ceased. Turning around to discard the bloody rag, he was shocked to see Asta standing in the entry of the kitchen. Upon seeing he got Yuno's attention, Asta had opened his mouth, but Yuno beat him to the punch. "I'm fine," He said shortly.

* * *

" _Did he feel fake to you?"_

* * *

Gritting his teeth, he pushed Noelle's words from his mind. No matter how much Yuno may wish it, there was barely any chance that this was the real Asta before him. But he couldn't say that out-loud since even an illusion, it seemed, was enough to make his heart ache. If he dismissed it here, then that would be a true acknowledgement that Asta was gone.

Instead, he wanted to ignore it. Throwing the dirty towel away, he tried to brush passed Asta. However, fingers caught his wrist loosely, and Yuno couldn't will himself enough to break free from the other's grasp. "You're lying," Asta stated as he met his gaze, "Something's bothering you." Even his concern was the same. Yuno broke eye contact.

"The little ones wanted to show you the garden after you came home," Asta blurted out, "They got done this evening." Yuno paused but didn't turn his gaze back to Asta. He heard the other huff. "So even though it's late and all," Asta muttered, and Yuno imagined he was rubbing his neck while he said it, "But it seems like a waste not to see their effort, you know?"

"I can see it tomorrow," Yuno responded quietly in a last attempt to find an excuse to leave the situation. Debating whether the person before him was real or not was not something he wanted to add to his plate at the moment. Yet, fake or not, Asta couldn't be ignored for long. He felt the other tug on his wrist again.

"Yeah," Asta argued as he tried to persuade him, "But I bet you'd feel better going now." The other paused to observe him. Perhaps seeing the reluctance Yuno felt, he let go of his wrist and took a step back. "I've just been worried about you lately," Asta admitted as he moved while making Yuno flinch slightly.

Guilt ate at his heart. It never had been his intention to make the other worry. Sighing, knowing he could never resist Asta's requests for long, Yuno gave in and muttered, "Fine. Just for a bit."

* * *

Yuno could see why the little ones were so proud. Before him stood a vast field of red carnations. There was no doubt that it had taken the children the past few months to plant and nurture all of them. Their blooms greeted him as he moved to sit among them. He looked up at the night sky and wondered how something so fake could look so real. Perhaps he should have directed that question to the person behind him. But he couldn't find the will to speak.

"It's not good to keep things bottled up inside," Asta told him with his tone holding more wisdom than Yuno could ever recall Asta having. Yet he didn't want to turn around as fear gripped his heart once more. As if the very image of Asta would fade away when he tried to see him. Asta waited a moment, and it was obvious that he was trying to get Yuno to respond. When he didn't, Asta continued.

"As things are now," He huffed, "I can't do much more than listen." There was a bitterness in his voice that Yuno could relate to, the bitterness of helplessness. "Still," Asta stated, "Knowing you're in pain, and not being able to help, is rough on me too." Asta, illusion or not, was always too honest for his own good. That fact drove the guilt in Yuno's heart to fester further inside him. "I think talking about it is a lot better than sitting alone and worrying," Asta reasoned as he felt him come closer. He buried himself deeper in his arms as a response.

He heard Asta sigh from behind him. "You know," Asta stated, "I'm not going to stop until you talk to me." He heard Asta sit down behind him and then felt the other lean against his back. Yuno tried not to think of the soothing warmth he felt. Especially not when there was a possibility that it was fake. That it could disappear the moment he accepted it. "Not giving up is our magic after all," Asta declared after a beat of silence, "So I'm not giving up on you! I'll be here when you need me."

Those words both soothed and burned his soul in more ways than Asta could possibly ever imagine. His chest tightened, to the point he felt like he was almost suffocating. He struggled to maintain his calm against the onslaught of memories threatening to overtake his thoughts. Time loop after time loop, Asta never failed to say those words to him. And cycle after cycle, Yuno wouldn't be strong enough to resist them. The words were drawn from him before he had a chance to process them.

"I had…a very frightening dream."

Asta stayed silent, perhaps not wanting to break whatever the spell was that had fallen over Yuno. Though Yuno himself couldn't stop the words from flowing past his lips. All his emotions were threatening to overcome him. The fear. The guilt. The despair. And they all tumbled out from him as he spoke while each colored his tone.

"In my dream," He whispered as if it could come true if spoken louder, "You went to a far-off place where we could never meet again." A tremor shook his body, and Yuno had no doubts that Asta could feel it. "Everyone in the entire world had forgotten you," He continued as his voice shook. He recalled Charmy's and Kahono's confused expressions that greeted him whenever he talked about Demons. "I was the only one left behind," He admitted as his grip on his arms tightened to the point he possibly gave himself bruises. His eyes stung as he fought back the liquid pooling in them.

"I was the only one who," He started before having to pause. He took a shaky breath. "The only one who remembered you existed," He finished as the words felt like acid on his tongue. He could recall so vividly the loneliness of looking back and having to realize that the one he sought would never be by his side ever again. "There was no one in the world who understood what I felt," He murmured as his shaking increased. After all, who would miss someone they never knew existed?

But that wasn't the worst. The worst was what Yuno had allowed himself to do. "Eventually," He whispered with each word feeling like broken glass, "I started to feel like my memories of you were something that I had imagined." It felt like a sin to admit them out-loud. That even now, it was like he didn't _deserve_ to remember Asta. "I started to doubt myself," He admitted while twisting the knife further into his heart. He felt as Asta leaned more into him while he said that cursed confession. He wondered if the other was trying to assure Yuno of his presence. "And now," Yuno finished as the tears, in which he had fought so hard to keep, fell past his cheeks, "I can no longer tell if the you before me is real or fake."

There was a long moment of silence before Asta finally spoke again. "I'm sorry, Yuno," Asta said so sincerely it hurt, "I never meant to hurt you like this." Yuno stiffened and froze as he was unable to process the meaning behind that statement. Asta continued, whether he felt Yuno sudden silence or not was unknown. "The only choices were to give up, watch you and everything be destroyed," Asta explained, "Or make the wish and save everyone." With a humorless chuckle, he added, "And we both know which one I chose."

Yuno's heart was pounding in his chest so hard that he wondered if Asta could feel it too. "So," Yuno asked with his voice rough from either grief or disbelief, "Would you make the same choices if given another chance?" Had Yuno truly forced Asta into a corner? Was he the reason for the other's suffering?

"I didn't see another option," Asta admitted, "To set you and everyone free." He felt the other let out a long breath of air. "I'm not smart enough to think of another way," Asta added, "So I guess I would."

"Is this wish what you wanted?" Yuno couldn't help but ask. Every second of silence felt like another weight being added to his chest. Still he tried to keep calm as he was unwilling to chance influencing Asta's reply in any fashion. He wanted the truth, even if the answer might kill him to hear it, to the question he had asked himself so many times.

"It's not perfect," Asta professed, "There are some downsides to being a universal concept." Such as being written out of existence and never being able to interact with those you hold dear ever again. So Asta was suffering. Yuno swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

As if sensing his thoughts, Asta quickly added, "But there's upsides to my wish as well." Yuno felt the other tilt his head back as he knocked it lightly against Yuno's shoulder. "I have the power to give salvation to all Magical Knights," Asta murmured before chuckling slightly and continuing, "That's a pretty important job." But there's no one who would give salvation to him in return.

"I'm sorry," Yuno muttered after a beat of silence, "I wasn't strong enough." That he hadn't done enough for Asta so the other would have never had to make that choice. The only thing he could do now was protect the world Asta had left behind. Around him, the carnations turned striped.

"It was my choice," Asta stressed as he shook his head, "I chose to make that wish." Still, Yuno couldn't help but doubt the other. If he had done better, Asta wouldn't have been left with only two options. The other's hand lightly tapped his back. "Just like how I chose to be here with you," He added. And something in Yuno's mind clicked as a strong breeze blew by and scattered the flowers' petals away.


	17. Rebellion: Part 8

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

Yuno stood up suddenly and, as a result, made Asta yelp as the other fell backwards. "Dammit, Yuno," Asta complained as he heard the other roll to the side. "Some warning next time would be great, ya handsome jerk," He joked. Yuno wanted to respond, but he was shaking so bad that he couldn't. Asta seemed to notice as he nervously called out, "Yuno?" A strong breeze whipped by once more and scattered what was left of the flowers.

"Asta," Yuno managed to ask, "Why are you here?" His answer was silence, with not even a hint of motion behind him. In the absence of sound, his heart pounded in his ears like thunder. His confrontation with Noelle replayed in his mind. The dark, tainted handprint he left on the altar. The very nature of Asta's wish was coming back to haunt him. Before Yuno knew it, he was reaching for his Soul Charm.

In a purple flash, he summoned a pistol into his hand. A tempest was growing in the sky above him. Snapping his necklace's chain off with a quick jerk, not caring if the motion left a bruise, he threw it in the air. Instinct, honed from time loop after time loop, kicked in as he fired a round to pierce it and another to shatter the gem entirely. Each hit their mark, and his charm crumbled into purple fragments.

Yuno could hear Asta saying something to him, but in that moment, it didn't matter. His Soul was supposedly shattered, but he was still here. He looked down at his hands. He saw that they were indeed dyed black with the telling patterns of a developing Demon dotted across his palms. How had he missed this?

The wind was threatening to blow him apart, and the ground beneath his feet shook with fury. In the distance, the Church's bells rang as if they were conducting a funeral. The world around him was coming undone, but all he could do was stare at his tainted hands in shock. All along, he had been the one that defiled Asta's sacrifice.

* * *

Pain blossomed from his cheek as a sudden blow had him stumbling back a few steps. He tore his eyes away from his palms to see Asta pulling his arm back. "Are you with me yet?" Asta panted, "Or do I have to come up with something else?" The other shook his head. "Because that was my last option," He added with a forced chuckle, "And we both know how well I am at thinking of new ones."

Yuno rubbed his cheek absently, nodding, as the ache became somewhat of a grounding force. The purple shards of his false charm still laid around him, though they were no longer embedded in the flowers. He blinked and felt his mind begin to slow down enough to notice there was quite a few things off with the scene before him. For one, his usual Magical Knight uniform had been stained a blood-red color so dark that it almost appeared black. For two, he was in a giant, gilded bird cage that hung above a broken city being torn apart by cyclones.

He felt himself pale. The sounds of destruction reached his ears, and there was no doubt that even a Magical Knight would have trouble surviving the storm below. Where would that leave everyone else?

"Noelle and Bell are currently leading them to a safe part of the labyrinth," Asta said as he gained Yuno's attention. Yuno let out a small breath of relief. The pressure that had been growing in Yuno's chest lessened but didn't diminish completely.

"Although that means the two of them are no longer distracting Nero for me either," Asta stated grimly, "And just when I got that dumb bird off my head for a few minutes too." He rubbed the back of his neck while grumbling something under his breath that the wind stole away. "We probably don't have much time before the Incubator comes back," Asta added, "If he's not here already." Shaking his head, he finished as he gestured to the labyrinth around them, "Still I owe you an explanation to why I'm _here_."

"I've been trying to figure out where your body and soul are," Asta explained as he stared at the fragments of the false charm. He scratched the back of his neck again, not meeting Yuno's questioning gaze. "When I came to retrieve you," He clarified, "I got pulled into this labyrinth instead." He pulled his attention from the broken jewel. "Not that it was a bad detour," Asta admitted as he looked out at the crumbling city, "Despite everything, I got to see everyone one more time." Turning back to Yuno, he smiled as the words ' _I got to see you again'_ went unspoken. "But I need your actual Soul Charm," Asta grumbled as he turned his focus to the sky above, "But it's more… complicated than that."

"What do you mean?" Yuno asked as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that Asta was looking for his "body and soul." What did that make him now if he wasn't either?

"From what Noelle gathered," Asta answered as he gestured to the labyrinth below, "We're inside your Soul Charm." The other shook his head with frustration swirling in his eyes. "Which is our next problem," He muttered in annoyance, "We can't get out, at least not without playing into Nero's wings." With a huff, Asta added, "It's been watching me too closely to find another way out, even with the others' help."

Yuno glanced at his hands once more. "What if I dismissed the labyrinth?" He asked as he returned his gaze to Asta, "Would that work?" Technically, he was the master of the labyrinth. At the very least, he should be able to create an exit of some kind.

"That would be impossible given the current state of your Soul Charm," a new voice added. Despite its monotone pitch, it was enough to cast chills down his entire body. Both Yuno and Asta snapped their attention to the area in front of them where Nero stood waiting.

"Incubator," Yuno addressed as he clenched his hands into fists. Even now, the creature continued to antagonize him. Still, its statement didn't sit right with him. Dread crawled its way up his spine. "What are you talking about?" Yuno demanded.

"While we had determined that a strict observation approach was the best course of action," It replied as it ruffled its feathers with its beak, "We could also not chance the possibility of an escape route being generated for those involved." Raising a wing, a framed mirror, similar in appearance to a window, was summoned in front of Asta and Yuno. "Thus we took precautions to ensure that our study would not be affected by those unpredictable possibilities," Nero added, "That could disrupt our current experimentation process."

Yuno saw, through the window Nero had brought up, a glimpse of the "real world." He felt himself suck in a breath with Asta's own breath hitching beside him. To him, it looked like his body was laying on a coffin in a barren world. He was still in his Magical Knight uniform, only he was clutching Asta's headband and a black bow of his own. Surrounding his still form were perhaps hundreds of Incubators. Above him, a cracked but familiar Soul Charm was hovering. It had been stabbed with a device handling some sort of needles. It was no doubt being used to…observe whatever happened inside. Magnifying glasses of all sizes surrounded the dark, purple charm and left no angle overlooked. Unsettled did not even scratch the surface of what Yuno was feeling. His hand raised reflexively to clutch at a necklace that was no longer there.

"Your Soul Charm has been saturated with impurities," Nero enlightened to the two. Neither one was facing the creature as their eyes stayed glued in mute horror at the vision before them. "At this stage," the creature continued, "The power that purifies Magical Knights and causes their disappearance occurs." Nero seemed to focus on Asta for a split second before turning back to Yuno. "Your soul has been placed within an isolation field," the Incubator stated evenly, "So it cannot be affected by outside forces." If the creature could express genuine curiosity, this would be it as it tilted its head ever so slightly. "What happens next?" It finished, "That's the experiment we're working on right now."

The creature raised its wing. "Within your wards," Nero stated towards Yuno, "There have been several interesting characters that don't match our records." Now, the creature didn't even attempt to hide its fascination with Asta as it turned to the boy beside him. "The most interesting one of all is you," the Incubator declared, "Asta Kaname." Yuno took a step in between the two as he tried blocking the incubator's view. Not that his action had stopped it from talking.

"You are an individual who exists not in the past nor in the possible future," Nero said, and despite its calm voice, the statement sent more chills down Yuno's spine. The bird turned back towards Yuno which caused Asta to flinch slightly. "Based on the observed Yuno Akemi's behavior," It finished, "The conclusion reached is that the being known as Asta Kaname is the phenomenon known as the 'Law of Cycles.'" Asta gritted his teeth but stayed silent.

"Though this deduction was not reached right away," Nero admitted, "As the 'Asta Kaname' did not demonstrate a shred of unexpected power." The creature flapped its wings, almost as if in annoyance. "It was later observed that Asta chose to hide his ability," the Incubator remarked, "The motive generated by our reasoning is that Asta wished to delay the inevitable." Inevitable? That Nero would figure out who he was? Yuno glanced towards Asta. The other boy did not meet his gaze and instead looked in the opposite direction to avoid his eye. Or was there something else Asta wished to avoid?

"Asta Kaname lied about being a God," Nero stated as it turned to each of them respectively, "And Yuno Akemi lied about being a Demon." The creature raised its wing once more and dismissed the mirror. "Thanks to those meaningless endeavors," the Incubator declared, "We have been trapped in a stalemate."

"So what do you plan to do now?" Yuno inquired as his voice returned to him though his mind was trying not to shut down upon processing all the new information. He narrowed his eyes skeptically at the bird. He couldn't believe that the Incubators would just let him or Asta go without there being some catch.

"Our experimentation has almost reached its desired end," It answered, "All we want left is to observe the conclusion of the lifecycle of a Magical Knight." Nero tilted its head towards Yuno. "Cooperate," the Incubator offered, "And we will have no more need for your soul." In other words, it was holding him hostage. A bargaining tool to force Asta to reveal his secrets. "You will be free to go with Asta Kaname into the Law of Cycles," It added as it confirmed those suspicions.

"Now that the truth has been unveiled, there is no need to continue these facades," Nero proclaimed as it preened its wing. For once, Yuno found himself agreeing with its statement. "The delicate balance within your soul has begun to crumble," the creature declared as it re-focused on Yuno. Not that the creature needed to point that out with the destruction going on just outside the cage. "Now then, Yuno Akemi" the Incubator addressed, "Reach out to Asta Kaname for help." Asta, near him, shifted. He couldn't be thinking of going through with this, just to save Yuno. "Complete the Cycle of a Magical Knight," Nero instructed, "And your soul shall be saved." Not if it was going to cost Asta everything. There had to be something he could do.

Magic pooled in his palm as he tried to summon something, anything to aid him. A small twister surrounded the three of them, but this time the air fragmented into several hawks that were made of wind. Demon familiars. His familiars. Hopefully they would obey him and follow his forming plan.

Asta moved beside him and looked at the newcomers with an expression of awe. His gaze shifted back to Yuno, but his impressed appearance never faded as he smiled at him. Something in Yuno's chest lightened at it. That would be a good last memory.

"Asta," He said softly, "Thank you for coming all the way to a place like this." Asta blinked in surprise at his words while his head tilted in a way that gave off a hint of his confusion. "The fact we were able to be together," He started as magic pulsed through him, "To talk to one another like this." Yuno's fingers twitched as they began to tremble. "That I was able to feel your kindness and strength again," He added as his mana silently signaled one of the hawks, "This alone is enough to make me very happy." Even if the opposite was true right now. Saying goodbye to Asta still hurt, no matter how many times he had been forced to do it. "You can leave now," He declared as he ignored the way his voice shook at the end, "You've already done more than enough."

Asta opened his mouth to speak, but Yuno interrupted him with a wave of his hand. A hawk grabbed Asta from around the shoulders and flew out of the cage, ignoring the way its passenger yelled Yuno's name. He waited until they were out of sight. Hopefully he could control these familiars, like he thought he could, and thus sent Asta to the edge of the labyrinth where he'd be safe. "Even in the end," He whispered more to himself than to the boy who was no longer here, "I couldn't even say 'goodbye' to you." Despite Asta not being able to hear it, Yuno couldn't help but softly add, "I'm sorry."

"Humans are so illogical," Nero declared as the creature hopped closer to him, "What good would rejecting Asta's assistance do now?" Yuno ignored the bird's question as he observed the area around him. He could see new familiars with appearances similar to that of the medieval knights' armor of old. Each held a sharp-tipped lance cloaked in darkness along with a large shield that had, in the middle, an emblem of a black four-leaf clover. They began to form a circle on each level of the cage while their metallic steps sent out a loud _clang_ in heavy rhythms. As they entered formation, they stood straight as a board and pressed their shields together to form a barrier. Their lances were positioned like barbed wire. Trapping the Incubator and the Demon together. The only open area was the very top where the false moonlight shone down from above onto the floor like a spotlight. If either creature was disturbed by this, neither gave nor showed any signs.

Yuno slowly spun around to face Nero as a swirl of mana surrounded him and rustled his robe. The creature hadn't moved, and it didn't appear off-put by the magic that hummed in the air. It merely waited for Yuno to respond. "Incubator," Yuno demanded in a level voice, instead, as he was unwilling to give Nero any hint to his emotional state, "Tell me what your real goal is here."

"To confirm the existence of the 'Law of Cycles,'" The creature answered evenly, "Of course." Yuno doubted that was the only reason for its experiment. It wasn't telling him the full truth. The moon's light began to tint red as the structure shuttered. He could feel the shockwaves of the fake city's continued destruction beneath them. "It had been a mere hypothesis until now," Nero added, unfazed by the quaking. The creatures Yuno knew wouldn't be this obsessed with Asta if they _just_ wanted to test a theory. Especially with the power the Cycle had shown. The knights around them began clanking their lances against their shields in a steady beat as they prepared themselves for battle.

"For what purpose?" Yuno asked as half of the floor turned red in the new light. The Incubators would want more than just observing Asta. The breeze of a small twister spun around them again as more aerial familiars appeared and circled above the two beings. "'Merely satisfying curiosity is illogical'," He recited when Nero didn't reply, "As you always say." The Incubator didn't blink nor respond to Yuno's statement. It couldn't want… "I won't believe that you went to such lengths just to confirm Asta exists," He declared as his eyes narrowed slightly and dared the creature to deny his claims. It didn't. Instead, Nero turned away from Yuno and glanced up at the crimson moon. The moon, in turn, dyed the cage completely red.

His blood ran cold as the Incubator's behavior confirmed his suspicions, and his eyes widened at the realization. His heart started to speed up as the beat in his ears sounded more and more like a war drum. The mana began to swirl around him in a tempest, nearly engulfing his figure. The sound of metal had ceased as the knights grew still. The very air itself felt like Yuno had frozen time and waited with bated breath for the first being to move. The Incubator hadn't turned back to face him and was refusing to answer his question. Though it didn't need to.

"You intend to control Asta," Yuno accused harshly as his tone raised for the first time in their conversation, "Don't you?!" The answer was obvious to the both of them, and Yuno would be _damned_ if he just stood by and let it happen. His blood thawed and boiled as anger coursed through his veins. The world moved as Yuno raised his arm in a silent command. The hawks above bristled in response while their war-cries rang out. Yuno clenched his hand into a fist, and the hawks rained down sword-like feathers. Their attacks swarmed Nero's position and created a mist of fragmented magic at their impact.

"I won't deny that that was the end goal we had in mind," The creature finally admitted as it flew out of the mist while spinning to avoid the feathers. Of course, the blasted thing had to still be alive. "Though it would have been a very long and difficult endeavor," It lamented as it searched for a way out. It flew too close to one of the knights and barely dived down fast enough to avoid being speared. "After all," Nero added, "This phenomenon has been a complete mystery to us." A roar of bladed plumages shot past the Incubator as it twisted to dodge them. They hit the Knight's shields harmlessly, shattering on impact into mana dust. "We can't interfere with something when we can't confirm its existence," It stated as if it was an attempt to appease Yuno. It didn't.

"Not that you'd give up just because of that," Yuno countered as he focused in on Nero. The Incubator always had been hard to kill. He pointed towards the creature as a soundless order was issued. A couple hawks swooped down to give chase. Gusts of wind shook the air in their wake.

"True enough," The Incubator admitted as it dived out of the reach of a couple talons. Yuno lost track of it as it flew past him. A moment later, another blast of sword-like feathers hit the area behind him as a cloud of mana coated the area. "If we could just observe it," It stated as its voice rang out, "We'd be able to interfere with it." Yuno turned his head, eyes sweeping the cage for the familiar sight of black feathers. "And if we could interfere with it," Nero added, "We'd be able to control it." He spotted it near the Knights on the second bar. The hawks gave chase as the wind whipped into a frenzy once more.

"Our research would allow us to conquer the 'Law of Cycles' completely someday," Nero's voice declared. Was the creature mocking him or bragging? Yuno gritted his teeth as Asta's smiling face popped into his mind. He would never allow that. Not caring if the cage was damaged in the resulting attack, several volleys of feathers showered the area at Nero's declaration as the battlefield was temporarily hidden by mana dust. With a wave of his hand, the dust cleared as a blade of wind sliced through it. Like the smug creature it was, Nero stood intact on the floor of the cage, preening its wing. If it noticed his gaze, it didn't react for it focused on completing its explanation.

"And then we could have Magical Knights turn into Demons," Nero stated as Yuno glared at the creature, "And collect vast amounts of energy all at once." The flow of mana was now consuming Yuno, thrashing his cape around. In the light of the blood moon, he stood as a crimson beacon. "The phase change between hope and despair," The creature said in a tone that almost suggested it was marveling, "The volume of energy that is created in those emotions…" How many times had he heard Nero say this?

Focusing his magic, he pointed at Nero as more hawks were summoned around the Incubator. They spun around the creature, trapping it. "It is far beyond anything we had imagined," The Incubator professed as a blade of wind finally knocked it off balance. "Truly," It praised as it righted itself, "Magical Knights hold the key to limitless possibilities." Bladed plumage stabbed the ground and created a makeshift fence. "All of you Magical Knights should fulfill your existence by transforming into Demons!" Nero declared as it hopped inside the circle, looking for an escape but finding none.

Yuno gritted his teeth as Nero's words registered with him. His fingers curled into a fist as he concentrated a blast of magic above the Incubator. The creature looked up as the magic's light reflected off the feathers and made the circle appear more like a clock's face. How appropriate since time was up. He released the bomb as it exploded in a blast that shook the entire cage to its core. The hawks around it vanished in both the shockwave and haze of mana dust that followed. Cracks in the knights' shields emerged as their fragments began to rain down. To Yuno's utter disgust, Nero still stood as the air settled.

"Why are you angry?" It had the gull to ask. "All this has nothing to do with you anymore," Nero said as it added kindling to the fire, unable to understand what was causing his reactions. The top of the cage began to swirl into winds like a hurricane as the cries of hawk familiars rang throughout the enclosure. Yet it wouldn't be enough to tip things in his favor, and Yuno knew this as nothing he had tried so far worked. At this rate, he'd fail again. Either he used up all his magic and would be forced to call for Asta, or worse, Asta would come back and save him. Just what the Incubator wanted. To add the icing to the cake, it seemed he was reaching his limits as his negative emotions began to consume him. Glancing at his hands, he noticed they looked like they had been dipped in black paint. He would transform into a Demon if he didn't do something soon.

He blinked as he replayed that thought. Gears in his head stopped then spun backwards. If he turned into one, there would be no soul left to save. Nothing left for the Incubators to observe. Nothing left to force Asta to play into their hands. Yuno had promised himself long ago that he would do whatever it took to save Asta. And his soul was a small price to pay to finally succeed in fulfilling his vow.

"The existence of Yuno Akemi has reached its completion," The Incubator stated as Yuno gathered his magic. It was right for once, but not in the way it had hoped. Nero stood trying to calculate what Yuno would do next as the mana lines from his body began to coat the area. As they reached the knights standing guard, the lines absorbed the familiars and dissolved them into dust. Nero twitched as if getting ready to fly. The hawks above rained down another volley of feathers, forcing the Incubator to keep its place. "At the end of your relentless fate," Nero declared as it hopped out of the way of a couple bladed feathers, "You've fulfilled your promise to meet the one you've waited so long for." It was still trying to reason with him, unable to understand his motivation to continue what the creature thought was a "worthless struggle." The incubator tilted its head as it raised a wing slightly. "Shouldn't that bring you joy?" It asked.

He thought of meeting Asta, of their very first interaction in the walkway. He thought of being saved by Charmy and Asta, of gatherings filled with treats and tea. He thought of wishing to repeat those days when they all came to a sudden, screeching halt. He remembered meeting Asta again, of days never quite repeating the same. He remembered learning the truth about Magical Knights, of having to suffer alone with the weight of its burden. He remembered his vow to Asta only to lose him forever in the end. "No," Yuno said truthfully, "This is not the joy that I wished for."

Every familiar vanished as they were absorbed into his magic. The mana lines receded back to Yuno as they surrounded his being in a cyclone of energy. The magic shot up to the ceiling as Yuno raised his arm to direct it. It scattered upon impact and draped the bird cage in a light layer of mana. The enclosure was transformed into a crimson version of the glass container they had used on Incubuses. It would appear the cake was him this time.

"Are you serious?" Nero cried out in a tone that almost seemed like alarm, as the container began to fill with sluggish reddish-purple magic. "You're raising a curse yourself?" The Incubator called out in dismay as it flew above the hex, "What are you thinking?" Had it been a different situation, Yuno would have been proud to catch Nero off guard for once. "At this rate," It informed him in vain, "The purification won't catch up!"

"As you are now," Yuno responded, not sure whether he should be astonished or not that the Incubator still couldn't grasp some semblance of his motivation, "You likely wouldn't know this." The moon above split in two as it poured the cursed spell into the glass container like wine. "But you see," He continued as a part of him wanted to make it understand the reason of its failure, "I became a Magical Knight solely to save Asta." The Incubator twisted out of the way of a falling dark hex droplet. "And that holds true even now!" Yuno's voice added, echoing out as his form was swallowed by the sea of magic. He wanted it to know his vow. To know the depths he was willing to go. Though he doubted that it could even fathom the idea as the curse drowned them both. "If the alternative is revealing Asta's secret to you," He concluded with determination singing his swan song in his ear, "I would rather let myself turn into a Demon." His head was growing fuzzy as he could feel the curse begin to consume him. "I'll never let you Incubators touch Asta again!" He proclaimed as his vision grew faint. His feelings towards Asta was the one thing Nero had never succeeded in breaking. And those emotions would be both of their downfalls.

The curse magic was pouring in faster now after Yuno's declaration. Before his consciousness was completely lost, he heard Nero respond to what was to be his epitaph. "Would you give up your only salvation just for that?" It said in nearly disbelief. If he had the energy, Yuno would have laughed at its inability to comprehend humans to the very end. "Do you mean to spend the rest of eternity living amongst all these curses?" It questioned as the liquid magic nearly touched the top of the container. No, he planned to make this place his tomb.

"I'll be fine," He answered as he thought of his last hope. Hazily, his mind brought up Charmy and Kahono. They were still in the labyrinth, of that Yuno was sure. "I'm certain this labyrinth will be my grave," He declared, "Charmy Pappitson and Kahono Sakura are both here after all." His mind recalled every battle he had witnessed with them like an old film reel. "I believe in them," He added softly. They had the power to take down whatever Demon he turned into. Perhaps both Noelle and Bell would help out too, assuming the two hadn't disappeared after his confrontation with them. He could only have the thinnest of faith that Asta had seen Yuno as a lost cause and left. Or at the very least, Asta would stand by and let Yuno protect him for once.

"That's ridiculous," Nero's voice cried out. Yuno wondered why it couldn't just die in the curse already. "Do you understand what it would mean if you died within the Isolation Field?" It asked. The Incubator didn't wait for Yuno's response as it continued. "You won't even be able to break out of the shell," Nero added almost frantically, "You'll end up a fully born Demon inside the egg." Yuno wished it would shut up. He already figured that. "You'll be destroyed without being found by the Law of Cycles," Nero declared, "No one will ever be able to save your soul from despair." The slight pang of fear that came with that statement was unexpected. He thought he had convinced every piece of him that this was the only way. Yuno wished he could put his hands over his ears or have something drown out the Incubator's voice instead. Anything to make it stop talking. But fate had never been kind to him though as he registered Nero's next words.

"You would lose your chance to see Asta Kaname again," It stated, "Forever." Wherever Yuno's heart was, it gave a painful squeeze. If he still had lungs, it would have taken his breath away. "Honestly," The Incubator seemed to sigh, "Why is human thought so incomprehensibly illogical?" The statement seemed to be addressed at the creature itself rather than Yuno. He couldn't directly see where Nero was, but he could sense it none the less. "To you," the Incubator asked as if to rub salt in his wounds, "Wouldn't that be the worst possible ending?" Gathering the last of his thoughts, Yuno issued out the command to either attack the Incubator or just get it to shut up. As his consciousness faded however, Yuno could still hear its last words echoing over and over in his head.


	18. Rebellion: Part 9

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

 **This chapter may contain a bit of graphic** **imagery that some may find disturbing. Please read with caution if this affects you.**

* * *

 _So this is a Demon."_

" _My emotions have all come back to haunt me."_

* * *

Yuno gasped as he opened his eyes. He tried to recall what happened, but his head felt too muddled to sort out. He looked down to see himself wearing his usual school uniform. Yet there were no classrooms in sight nor could he say that he was at school. Giving up on remembering, he tried looking around instead to see if he could at least recognize where he was. The walls around him were distorted, their appearance resembling black and white clogs turning. The floor resembled that of the checkered tiles of a chess board. Nothing even remotely familiar to him.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head to see Asta running towards him. Despite calling out his name, Asta didn't appear to see Yuno as he ran right past him. "W-wait!" Yuno cried as he spun in Asta's direction. He reached out to grab him, to get Asta to explain what was going on, but Yuno's fingers narrowly missed the other's hand. Asta didn't stop, and Yuno quickly began to chase after the other's figure. Something screamed within him that if he didn't follow, he would never be able to see Asta again.

No matter how many times Yuno tried, he could never catch up to Asta. The other's figure was always in the distance and just out of reach. Finally, Asta had paused up ahead as the boy came to a clearing. He walked to the center of it and was looking around as Yuno came to the entrance himself. With the tiled floor and the steel-threaded beams that seemed to stretch on forever, it wasn't like any other place he had been to before. A few staircases framed the circular surroundings, each one leading to a doorway. A green light to his left lit the way towards a sign that said "Exit."

Yuno didn't remember the last time he had felt so exhausted as he doubled over trying to catch his breath, unable to move. Asta's attention turned towards the exit. "W-Wait, A-Asta!" Yuno called again shakily as the other moved towards the door. Asta didn't react or respond to Yuno's pleas as he opened the exit. The resounding _clank_ of it slamming shut echoed through the area.

Forcing himself, Yuno gave chase once more. On shaking limbs, he climbed the steps towards the door himself. Using all his strength, he opened it as he shut his eyes at the intense light it radiated. Tumbling through the gateway, Yuno heard the _clank_ once more as it shut behind him. He moved his hands to rub his eyes, but he was surprised that his palms were met with a metal frame. Blinking, he wondered why he was so shocked to have his glasses on. And why he felt so…off wearing them.

Shaking his head, he looked around as he tried to find Asta. His eyes widened as he took in the new scene before him. The burnt, gray sky. The floating pieces of debris around him. The colossal, dead, and gnarled tree that he now stood on. Torn buildings surrounded the tree and littered the land. Some floated among chucks of debris, drifting with the clouds in a whirlwind of destruction. His heart thumped painfully in his chest as a shiver of terror ran down his spine when he gazed upon the eye of the storm. There, in the center of all the destruction, floating above the ruined city with storm clouds orbiting its form, stood a great Demon.

It reminded him of Frankenstein's monster. Its stitched skin was as pale as a corpse and wore a ghastly crown of snow-white locks that ran down its spiked spine. It had four arms and two legs, with each palm holding a blood-red cross that lay embedded in the center. A lizard-like tail could be seen behind it, sweeping back and forth. Two dark, bat-like wings, whose edges were ripped and jagged, sprouted out of its large, crimson-stained torso. Dual horns hugged its head, and streams of, what seemed like, blood flowed from its three eyes into a crooked grin that housed large, serrated teeth. Behind its body, a ring of fire burned and casted a hellish halo. Walpurgisnacht.

Asta stood just ahead of him on the small platform that a crushed tower had made. The other was staring at the Demon, just beyond Yuno's reach.

* * *

 _Yuno trembled as he watched Charmy take a hit for Asta. The last attack had shattered her Soul Charm on her headband, and Yuno watched helplessly as she fell. Asta caught her, thankfully, but Yuno saw no joy in his expression as he laid her gently on the ground. It was only when he saw the other rearranging her body to resemble that of a funeral pose did it sink in that the girl before him was dead. Tears pooled in his eyes and fell past his cheeks. He watched as Asta smiled grimly to himself before rising. His next words nearly broke Yuno's heart. "I better get going," He told him. His later actions would shatter it so bad that his heart could never be put completely back together again._

" _But," Yuno gasped with his voice shaking, "Miss Pappitson just got killed." His eyes drifted briefly back down to the blood-spattered body before him. The thought that Asta might share her fate was too terrifying for words. Inwardly, he begged the other to run away._

" _That's why I have to go," Asta said as he kept his tone even. Turning to look at the Demon, Asta added, "I'm the only one left who can stop Walpurgisnacht." Yuno could see the determination blazing in his eyes. Even now, when all hope was lost, Asta was still doing his best to be a hero._

" _But it's impossible! No one could beat that thing alone!" Yuno exclaimed with desperation seeping into his tone as he tried to convince the other to stop, "You'll just be killed, too!" They both knew that. Didn't he wonder what would happen if he died?! Didn't he think about how everyone at the Church would feel?! Didn't he think about how Yuno would feel?!_

" _Even so," Asta replied as he broke Yuno from his thoughts, "I'm a Magical Knight." Tightening his hands into fists, he added, "I have to protect everyone." Yuno bent his head as more tears stung his face. He tried to hide this fact as he didn't want to admit his own helplessness at the situation. His body trembled slightly._

" _Listen," Yuno begged in one last attempt, "Let's just run away." He wondered if Asta could sense the tears he tried to conceal. "There's nothing we can do," Yuno cried, "No one would blame you." Turning away from Walpurgisnacht, Asta walked over to him._

 _Hugging the shaking boy in his arms, Asta called his name softly as he tucked the other's head under his chin. "I'm really glad I became friends with you," Asta whispered to him as if trying to convey all the things he had to leave unsaid. "Even now, the fact we were there in time to save you from that Demon," Asta admitted happily, "It was one of my proudest accomplishments." Soul Charm beginning to blaze inside, the other continued, "That's why, I'm glad, in the end I chose to be a Magical Knight." Pulling back from the hug, Asta pressed his lips to Yuno's forehead._

" _Mister Kaname," Yuno said as his eyes shined with fresh tears. Part of him wished that he could have a fraction of Asta's courage and call out the other by his first name. But he was a coward, wasn't he? After all, he was the one who wasn't a Magical Knight. If he had been, Charmy might still be with them. Right now, he was the one practically forcing Asta to sacrifice himself._

 _He looked up to see Asta smile at him again. Why was he smiling when there was no possible way for a happy ending? Why was he smiling at the one giving him this death sentence?_ " _Good-bye, Yuno," Asta said standing up. Despair gathered in his heart as Yuno felt that familiar helplessness strangle him. More sobs shook his form as a strangled cry left Yuno's lips. But Asta didn't hesitate from his goal. Taking a couple steps back, eyes not leaving Yuno's until the very last moment, Asta said his final words. "Remember," He called out, "Not giving up is our magic."_

* * *

Yuno could see Asta crouch, preparing to leap at the Demon. "N-No!" Yuno cried out as he jumped at Asta himself, trying to stop the other. Just as his fingertips were about to touch his back, the boy faded into dust. Yuno landed on his hands and knees with a _splash_ as the ground below him changed to water. Not caring that he was soaked, Yuno quickly sat up as his gaze frantically scanned the area around him for Asta.

Rain fell around him as he sunk slightly in the shallow bay water. All around him was evidence of a great disaster with all the buildings in the general area having been reduced to either piles of rubble or erased entirely. Asta lay beside him. His Magical Knight attire had vanished and left a bruised and broken body behind instead. Despite this, a small and peaceful smile remained etched on Asta's face. No, no, _no_!

Trembling, Yuno couldn't bring himself to touch Asta, to confirm what his mind already knew. That the boy beside him was cold as life had left him long ago. Tears began to stream down Yuno's cheeks as a shudder shook his spine. Why did it have to come to this?! "It wasn't worth saving me," Yuno brokenly sobbed, "If you're not alive!" He wrapped his arms around his middle for support as he bent over slightly, trying to force his lungs to take air. "I want you back!" He yelled to Asta, even though the other could no longer hear him. His tears mingled with the rain that soaked his bones.

"Is that really what you want, Yuno Akemi?" A warped voice asked him. Yuno's breath hitched. He knew this voice. "Would you trade your soul for a wish like that to come true?" It continued. Shakily, he straightened himself to look over his shoulder. A black inky form resembling more a harpy of death than a small bird-like creature greeted him. With wings like a vulture, red eyes peered down at him accompanied by a twisted grin that served in place of a beak. With a yelp, Yuno jerked backwards while knocking himself off balance. As he landed on his back next to Asta, he could hear his own voice echo out.

* * *

" **I wish I could meet Mister Kaname all over again!"**

" **But this time, instead of him protecting me, I want to become strong enough to protect him!"**

* * *

Disorientated, his head ached as something in him whispered, " _And look what your 'protection' did._ " Before he could process what it meant, he felt something bump his hand as a tiny _clang_ echoed loud in his ear. Jerking his head to the side, he locked gazes with Asta's tired eyes for a second. Then the other closed his eyes and smiled as he laid on his side facing Yuno. No. Please don't let this be what Yuno suspected it was.

"I lied before," Asta admitted softly, "I still had one left." Cradled in his hand was a Chaos Jewel, and Asta had pressed it against Yuno's tainted Soul Charm. He could feel its purifying effects, but he didn't care. Why did Asta always have to sacrifice himself to save him?!

"I need you to do something that I can't," Asta murmured. Yuno felt a couple tears spill down his cheeks. "Y-You can go back in time, right?" The other asked shakily as Yuno could only watch him force the words out. "You can change history," Asta whispered softly like a prayer, "So it doesn't end up like this." Asta opened his eyes in pain with a few tears of his own escaping down his cheek. "Can you save me from my stupidity," The boy pleaded, "Before I get fooled by Nero?"

Yuno gathered up whatever energy he had left and turned his body towards Asta. "I promise," He declared as his voice wavered. "No matter how many times I have to try," He vowed, "I swear I will protect you!" No matter what it cost. He moved to cup Asta's hand, but his palm found metal instead. Yuno's own voice whispered in his ear, " _You can't protect anyone._ "

Suddenly, the world was tilted as Yuno found himself standing up in his Magical Knight attire. Instead of his gem, his fingers were wrapped around a pistol. Asta lay below him with his arm outstretched and holding in the middle of his palm a blackened Soul Charm. Yuno felt, in horror, as his body moved on autopilot to aim at the charm. No matter how much Yuno struggled internally, he couldn't stop his hands from pulling the trigger. The shattering sound of a broken Soul Charm was louder than any bullet he could remember.

He couldn't breathe. His entire body trembled as Yuno dropped the gun. He opened his mouth but couldn't voice the scream trapped in his throat. The world turned black with everything fading away except for Asta's broken body. Yuno brought his hands up to cover his ears as he frantically tried in vain to block out the looping shattering sound. He took a couple trembling steps back as he shook his head over and over. Tears flooded down his cheeks like raging rivers. This wasn't…This couldn't be real. It was just a dream, an awful nightmare. His own voice echoed in his ear once more, mockingly. " _See_ ," He laughed, " _You just make things_ worse!"

His foot connected with something hard that almost sent him stumbling backwards. Turning around, his world turned red in the dying light of the sun. All around him was a barren landscape covered in rusted, chipped crosses. In the distance, a crumbled mausoleum stood among the grim reminders. With trembling digits, Yuno reached out as if in a trance and dusted off the nearest headstone's name. _Asta Kaname_. With frantic eyes, his gaze darted to the other gravestones. They all echoed the same name in the eye could see. His stomach turned painfully.

"Why didn't you tell us?" A familiar voice resounded in his ear. Snapping his head to the side, he could see Charmy in her Magical Knight uniform. Only her form was covered in spattered blood and a thick red line dripping from the place that he had seen her life end so many times by Bell's hand. His chest tightened. Was she talking about Nero, the Demons, or that labyrinth?

"I-I tried," Yuno whispered with his voice rough. How many timelines had he tried to explain the truth only for it to go wrong? In the end, he could never save them nor convince them. It was better if they were left in the dark.

"That's because you didn't try hard enough," A new voice said to his right, "You rather stab us in the back over and over than actually help." Twisting around to the opposite direction, Yuno saw Noelle standing before him. Her Magical Knight uniform was dripping wet with rainwater, and her skin was a ghastly white. With hollow eyes and an empty sneer, she gestured to the area around them. "And for what?" She asked, "To die for nothing _?_ "

"I-I didn't mean for that to happen," Yuno tried to argue. It never had been his intention to let them die. But he had found it impossible to keep them all alive as well. It had become easier to just focus on Asta and do all he could to accomplish that goal at the very least. But he never did succeed, did he? He had let them all die in vain, because Yuno failed. And kept failing.

"It's your fault," A third voice snapped as Yuno spun around to face Kahono. She was covered in wounds fresh from her battle with Noelle's Demon form. He could see, among the purple and blue bruises around her body, stripes of red. She gave him a twisted grin. "None of this would have happened had you just accepted fate," She whispered, letting the deadly poison reach his ear.

"No," Yuno muttered, "Y-You're lying." That couldn't be the truth. Please let it not be true. His breath was coming out way too fast. His heart felt like it wasn't there anymore at all. He found himself backing up until his back hit a cross as the three continued to give him the glazed looks of death.

"Yuno Akemi," Nero stated as Yuno whipped his head back to see the bird perched on the gravestone behind him, "By turning back time and changing past events, you have traversed numerous timelines to redo these past couple of months while seeking your desired outcome." Yuno clasped his hands over his ears tightly. Not this again. He couldn't take it again. "You're the reason why Asta Kaname's potential as a Magical Knight is so abnormally vast," The creature continued, ignoring Yuno's distress. "Asta Kaname became such a powerful Magical Knight," Nero added, "Because you kept turning back time." Yuno began shaking again. "By turning back time over and over for the same purpose and reason," It explained as it fluffed its feathers, "You inadvertently caused multiple timelines to converge together and centered them all on the existence of Asta Kaname." Yuno collapsed to his knees, paralyzed. It was all his fault.

"If Asta's threads of fate from each of those separate timelines," the Incubator enlightened calmly, "All ended up linked to the current Asta, that would explain why his magical potential appears so impossibly huge." The creature raised a wing towards him. "Excellent work, Yuno," It finished while adding the final nail to his coffin, "You've made Asta into the most powerful Demon we've ever seen." Yuno wrapped his arms around his form as he tried and failed to keep himself together. He crumpled to the ground in front of the grave, shutting his eyes tight.

Suddenly he felt a slight warmth cover him before pulling back. Looking up, he saw Asta beginning to stand. They were on a top of a broken building. He could see the chaos of Walpurgisnacht beyond them and of the despair in its wake. The other flashed him a sad but determined smile as he began to walk over to Nero. Wait, this timeline was…was…

"Since you're now the central point of karmic destiny from numerous amounts of different timelines," the bird said calmly, "No matter how enormous the wish, you will likely be able to make it come true." No, anything but this wish! "Now, Asta Kaname," Nero said starting the process, "What is the wish that you will pay for with your soul?" It wasn't just his soul he was giving, it was his everything. His existence. Yuno's legs wouldn't listen to him, no matter how frantically he was trying to stand. He heard Asta take a deep breath. Why couldn't he move?!

It was too late as the fatal words rang out. "I wish," Asta declared to Nero, "To erase all Demons before they are born! All the Demons in all the universes, both in past and in future with my own hands!" And the land was enveloped in a Mountbatten pink glow. Yuno failed. He lost his chance to see Asta Kaname ever again.

* * *

" _To you, wouldn't that be the worst possible ending?_ "

* * *

The light faded, and Yuno frantically looked around for Asta. In the distance, he could see him. Battered and bruised, Asta stood with his back facing towards Yuno. In his hands, he drew his bow and summoned another sword-arrow. As he fired round after round, Yuno could see the forms of the terrible Demons that he was facing alone. Was this what had happened to him afterward?

Yuno tried to reach out towards him, but his hand was met with a barrier. " _This is the fate you doomed him to_ ," His own voice whispered back, " _Fighting forever more, all alone_." No, this wasn't what he wanted! Yuno pounded against the barrier, but it didn't budge. Eyes wide with terror, he could do nothing but watch Asta get swallowed by the darkness.

"A-Asta!"

"Who's Asta?" A warped voice asked him as Yuno glanced beside himself to see distorted forms of Sister Lily and Father Ofai standing next to him. Their faces were blurry while their voices mingled with the thousands of times he had heard that phrase already. Despite not seeing their expression, he could sense their misguided concern. Didn't they see Asta get taken away too? Why didn't they remember him?!

"There's never been a boy named Asta here," Father Ofai said as his voice echoed throughout the void. There was something in his tone that put Yuno on edge. No, he wasn't crazy. He wasn't! Asta was _real_. Asta was…

Covering his ears and shutting his eyes once more, Yuno tried to block out their voices. But he couldn't block out his own. " _Was this what you wanted?_ " His voice mocked as Yuno rapidly shook his head back and forth again. Tears continued to stream down his face.

"I wanted to save him, to see him again!"

" _But you gave up. You abandoned him."_

"I didn't give up!" Yuno shouted back as he gritted his teeth. An echo of Asta's words floated through his mind: " _Not giving up is our magic._ " He couldn't give up. Giving up meant forgetting Asta, and no matter what happened to him, Yuno would never forsake him.

" _You're willing to shoulder any sin to be with him, to fix your mistake?"_

He was.

A bright purple glow flashed before his shut gaze. Cautiously, Yuno opened his eyes to see his grimoire floating before him. The pages sang with magic. His fingers twitched, almost reaching out to touch the tome. Asta's voice echoed in his ear along with the distant static of rain, " _You can change history so it doesn't end up like this._ "

* * *

" _Ah, so this is my despair."_


	19. Rebellion: Part 10

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

" _Until our final day comes, we await the Law of Cycles to lead us off while dreaming of a familiar, smiling face that we hope to one day meet again."_

* * *

The void around Yuno shuddered before transforming into a vivid blue that almost mimicked the sky, just before his fingers could touch his book. A nearly painful, familiar voice filled the air around him. "Come on, Yuno," Asta's voice exclaimed, "Are you really going to let this nightmare beat you?" Yuno's eyes widened as he turned around towards the source in disbelief. Asta stood in the middle of the brightened abyss, wearing the same old school uniform he had first met the other in. Yuno didn't dare approach, didn't dare do anything that might make Asta disappear in front of him again.

"Asta…"

Seeing as Yuno wasn't going to approach him, Asta closed the distance himself. He could feel a soft sensation on his forehead as the boy drew Yuno's form to his chest. A soothing, _living_ heartbeat filled his ear. "I wouldn't give up on you, Yuno," Asta murmured as the other carded a hand through his hair. He couldn't bring himself to move and ruin the illusion. "I'm here to help you," Asta declared as the grip on Yuno tightened, "So don't pull anymore tricks like you did in the bird cage, you handsome jerk!"

That declaration broke something in Yuno. He was real. This truly was Asta. As soon as the thought processed, Yuno reacted. He wrapped his arms around the other as tight as he could, almost as if he could keep Asta from disappearing through that action alone. He couldn't hold back the tears that spilt past his cheeks. Inwardly, he cursed the fact he wasn't strong enough to stop them. Outwardly, he closed his eyes and buried his face in Asta's chest in a vain attempt to hide them. Still he couldn't stop the guilt and regret that grew in his chest nor the words in his head.

" _You should have done everything in your power to save_ _him_ _."_

* * *

When Yuno next opened his eyes, the world around him had changed drastically. The sound of a battlefield reached his ears, and he slowly twisted his head to survey the area around him. He could see hundreds of his knights battling against Noelle's own rabbit familiars. In the distance, he could see said girl battling against a couple of knights that strayed from the herd back-to-back with Kahono as the two synchronized their attacks. Charmy was taking out his largest knights with blasts from her cotton magic as large sheep plowed through the lines while she fired cannons in support. Another person, a small girl with short, green hair, launched wind attacks at his swooping hawk familiars as she supported the silver eagles of Noelle's that were locked in their own combat.

Above him, beyond the magic battlefield in the sky and below, was something that made him think he was still trapped in his nightmares. Hundreds of eyes looked down at him from holes the missing pieces in the broken false sky created, along with a couple gigantic images of incubators that were observing from above. As if Nero didn't haunt him enough.

"That's the Incubators' Seal," Asta's voice exclaimed, "When we break that, you'll be free!" Yuno looked to the side to see him in his Magical Knight attire, bow drawn. Yuno looked at himself, surprised to see that he too was in his own Magical Knight attire. In his hand was a black bow, similar to Asta's. Hadn't he been transformed into a Demon?

Not only that, despite the harsh battle around them, Asta and Yuno were on… something in a garden bed of pheasant's eye mixed with petunias, marigolds, and primrose around them. White poplars and purple pansies sprang between the flowers amongst a ring of nightshade and bittersweet.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the two of them were on top his Demon form with the flowers sprouting from the remaining section of a sliced jaw. The rest of his Demon's form resembled that of a grim reaper. Its bones were covered by a long, flowing black robe. The collar of the robe was dyed white with cross pins at each corner. In the middle, forming a necklace of sort, an emblem of a dying sun was held. Its movements had ceased as Noelle's Demon form had wrapped around its body in a makeshift rope. The blue-clover scales glimmered as the creature tightened its vice grip when his other form attempted to move.

Had Yuno not been so dazed, he would have been more surprised. Or perhaps, this knowledge was dwarfed by the fact that a certain someone was by his side once more. His gaze slid back to Asta, who was grinning at him. A smile so bright, that there was no way Yuno could have imagined it in his dark world. Asta held out a hand.

"Let's go, Yuno!"

And Yuno could never resist. Grabbing the hand, he felt their magic synchronize. Their bows intertwined to form one similar to the weapon he had seen Asta wield in his God form, so long ago. Or perhaps way before, in the first timeline, when Asta had defeated Walpurgisnacht with the sacrifice all his magic and soul. Yuno tightened his grip at the thought. Would Asta never stop sacrificing himself? Even now, when there was barely anything left to give?

Light glowed between their joined hands as a grand sword arrow was created. The Universal Gate's array was summoned as Asta added power behind their combined attack. The world began to glow a Mountbatten pink sheen.

"You're not scared?" Asta challenged, possibly to distract Yuno from the gazing Incubators above. From the corner of his eye, he could see the smirk on the other's face. Asta's determined expression never broke as he looked skyward. It brought Yuno a small bit of peace, seeing it on the other's face.

"Nope," Yuno replied with a smirk of his own before countering, "Are you?" For a split second, he felt Asta's hand twitch. Or perhaps it was his own.

"As if," Asta retorted. The light between them grew brighter. "They don't stand a chance!" He declared. Yuno smiled and nodded in agreement. Together, they released the arrow and shattered the seal, raining hellfire upon the Incubators. They could hear the creatures' last words echoing as the sky began to fall.

"I don't understand."

* * *

The world around them continued to crumble as pieces of the heavens fell. The petals of the primroses, pansies, and marigolds swarmed around them before they flickered out of existence. Yuno looked into the horizon to see the broken city vanishing into the approaching light. He could only assume the others had left his labyrinth at this point. Just his slowly fading Demon form and Asta remained.

"Great job!" Asta congratulated him as he clasped him on the shoulder, "We showed those Incubators whose boss!" Yuno turned his head towards him with a burning question on his tongue.

"What now?"

"Now you get to have a well-deserved break! You've definitely earned it!"

"What about you?" Yuno pressed, not caring what would happen to himself in the slightest. His mind drifted back to his nightmare, of Asta only existing in concept alone. Of Asta fighting forever more alone. Perhaps his worry was visible on his face as Asta paused and removed his hand.

"My job's not done yet," Asta admitted, "There are still other Magical Knights I have yet to meet." Yuno twitched as the other's words aligned with his fears. As long as there were Incubators, Magical Knights, and curses, Asta would be forced to continue his plight. And there would never come a time when there weren't. The other pointed a thumb back at his chest.

"There are plenty of people I have to protect," Asta added, as his eyes burned with determination, "Plenty of people I have yet to save." But there would be no one to save him from himself. No Law of Cycles to take him away should his soul ever grow weary or his task finally be complete. He would simply exist in the Universal Void as a concept, away from everyone he loved forever.

The light had begone to engulf the two of them by that point. Asta smiled at Yuno, and he wondered if it was his imagination that the other's grin held bits of melancholy in it. "That includes you, Yuno," Asta concluded, "Next time you see me, I promise I'll set you free!" His form vanished in the brilliant radiance. Yuno tightened his hands into fists. Next time he saw Asta, _he_ would be the one to set the other free. Even if it cost him everything, he would be the one thing that gave salvation to the Law of Cycles itself.

* * *

Yuno awoke to see before him, in the distance, the Universal Gate that held the void of infinite possibilities. Its light bathed the world around him in a colorful display. An ark of wind was descending from the heavenly gate. Noelle and the small girl he could only assume was Bell sat in the vessel. Bell could be seen moving her hands to conduct the craft. In the left corner of his eyes, he could make out the Magical Knight forms of Charmy and Kahono watching the event with their back turned to him. By their content appearances, no one suspected his intent.

He turned his gaze back towards the void to see Asta emerge from it in his God form. He wore a glistening silver top jacket with a "V" tailcoat that reach the tips of his ankles that resembling what royalty would wear. The long sleeves were rolled up to mid-elbow, cuffs outlined in gold. The jacket's torso was lined with golden thread, creating a rectangle that stretched from his collar bones to his chest in the front, and golden buttons trailing up the sides with a five-leaf clover emblem in each one. Its high-collar was a royal red and matched the red and gold lined shoulder patches in color. Golden fringe hung from them, reaching mid-chest. A golden cord was wrapped around his torso in a loose loop. A royal red sash was tied in a neat side-knot rested just above his hip. In addition, he wore a deep crimson colored pants that had golden lines running down the outer side-length. His golden-lined white boots had the toes and vex dipped in the same royal red that reached just below mid-calf. Sleek white gloves covered his hands. Finishing the outfit, Asta's signature headband was replaced with a silver crown with that resembled that the kind a king would wear with a soul gem in the middle.

The other floated down to the ground, dusting off his shoulders. Rubbing the back of his neck, Asta chuckled slightly, "Sorry for the long wait, Yuno!" Not even Asta it seemed, despite his new form, could sense his desire. The Soul Charm around his neck crackled slightly with the emotions it held barely being contained. Hiding the noise, Yuno sat up and placed his bow down on the stone table. He unclasped the charm and held it along with the headband Asta had given to him the last time he had met him in person. Closing his fingers, he hid the tainted light and stepped off the table to go towards the other.

Asta grinned and extended out his hand to receive the charm, to set Yuno 'free.' "Let's go!" He exclaimed. His eyes seemed to soften slightly. "We'll always be together from now on, Yuno," He added happily. The other didn't understand how long Yuno had waited to hear those words. No matter how painful though, he had something more important to fulfill. This was his chance.

"Yes," Yuno agreed, "We will." Before anyone could react, Yuno threw his Soul Charm on the ground between the two of them. Asta opened his mouth, perhaps to ask what he was doing, but Yuno interrupted him before he could get a word out. Grabbing his hand tightly, he pulled the other to him and pressed his lips against Asta's as he caught the boy off guard. He wished he had time to be lost in the kiss, but he didn't. Instead he stepped on his own Soul Charm, cracking it and releasing its tempest. By the time Asta had returned to his senses when Yuno had pulled back, it was too late. "I've finally caught you," Yuno smiled with a tint of madness to his expression. His charm began to wrap the two of them in tendrils of vibrant dark magic.

"Look at his Soul Charm," He heard Bell call out as the others' cries of worry reached his ears in vain, "What are all those horrible colors?!" Noelle ran to the side of the ark while her hands somehow gripping the swirls of wind tightly. Her expression turned stern.

"It's not a curse," She yelped in fear as she squinted to see the colors escaping his breaking soul. "What is that? "Desire?" She guessed frantically in concern, "Obsession?" She pulled back in shock. "No, it's something else!" She exclaimed as she signaled Bell to speed up. The small girl rushed to guide their vessel down in an attempt to reach the two of them quickly. To his left, Kahono and Charmy had called on their weapons to aid them. But his magic held all at bay as it amplified the power of its storm and forced the others to try to defend themselves instead. "Yuno Akemi," Noelle shouted against the whipping of mana, "What on Earth are you?!"

"It's only natural that you don't understand," Yuno replied calmly as he gazed at Asta, who had become quiet out of either from the way his mana was swarming his form or shock. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Yes," Yuno revised, "No one in the world could possibly understand." His magic increased once more, and he could sense Charmy and Kahono having to pull back from its fury. "This emotion is mine and mine alone," He added as he opened his eyes. As gently as the situation allowed, he intertwined his fingers with Asta's. "And I've been saving it for him," He admitted, "For Asta."

At his declaration, his mana engulfed the two of them. It surrounded them in a shell comprised of the breaking reality around them. At this, Asta finally snapped out of his surprise and started to try to pull away. But the bond was too strong. "Yuno, don't!" Asta tried to reason instead, wincing as he flickered between his regular form and his 'God' form. While it pained Yuno inside to see Asta hurt because of his magic, he reminded himself that this was the only way. He had run out of other options, and this was his last chance to save Asta.

"You'll rip me apart!" Asta exclaimed as the magic severed the link connecting his forms. In the broken husk of the world around them, his 'God' form was reflected. But here inside the shell, in front of Yuno, was Asta's true form, his human form. The boy let out a shocked gasp as he fell unconscious. Yuno gently tugged Asta towards him. He cradled him against his form while vowing to never let the other go again. He could finally undo his mistake and free him. Below his Charm broke, and his mana engulfed the world, the galaxy, and the universe itself.

* * *

For once, Yuno was finally strong enough. The proof was that he had been summoned into the Universal Void himself, to become a new concept that governed the possibilities before him. His magic had ensnared and transformed Asta's now encased power into a spool of Mountbatten pink string. Like a string of fate that tied himself to Asta.

The spool floated before him. Yuno looked at his palm to see his own tainted Charm. Crushing it with his hand, he released the fragments towards the string. The pieces raced towards the spool and surrounded it in the formation of a black ring. The two magics combined as the string and fragments intertwined to transmute into a small black lantern with a dim purple-pink light trapped in the middle. Atop the lantern was a black four-leaf clover symbol. The new creation drifted into his awaiting hand.

From the Universal Void, he could sense the Incubator's being. Had Nero followed him here, or had Yuno summoned it here? Not that it mattered in the end. The creature couldn't neither hurt nor control him anymore. Never again would it either.

It watched in shock as it felt Yuno's mana beginning to rewrite reality anew. Yuno would be surprised too, had he not experienced this before. "You don't remember last time anymore, do you?" Yuno couldn't help but ask mockingly. It felt great to have the upper-hand on the creature for once. "This is the second time I've seen this place," He admitted, just to sense the Incubator's own expression of surprise. Perhaps even its own expression of fear.

"Yuno Akemi, what are you meddling in?" Nero cried out. Yuno just smiled at its confusion. "Your curse-blackened Soul Charm should have vanished," It added, "Along with your soul." If it could, it probably would have tilted its head or lifted a wing. "So why…?" It asked as it paused. Deciding to humor it, Yuno answered.

"Because I finally remembered," He replied as the memories surged past him like a bullet train. "All the times I repeated history," He started as he began to weave his concept into the universe, "Got hurt and suffered over and over…" The thought of a familiar face made his smile widen ever so slightly. "All those experiences were proof of my feelings for Asta," He concluded with a slight chuckle, "So now, even pain is dear to me."

Magic was engulfing him once again as the lantern grew brighter in his palm. "It was not even a curse that soiled my Soul Charm," Yuno confessed as he gazed at the creation before him. At the solution he had finally achieved.

"Then what did?"

"Something that you have no chance of understanding," Yuno answered truthfully, "Incubator." Despite their flickers of feelings, Nero and his flock would never comprehend the levels of emotions humans could experience. His time loops had proven that. The lantern was absorbed into his hand, leaving a black four-leaf clover on the back of his hand in the center.

"It is the pinnacle of all human emotion," He declared as all his bottled feelings flowed through him once more. "More passionate than hope," He hummed as the mana filled his very being, "Far deeper than despair." It brought a smile to his face. "Love," He finished as he could all but feel Nero's curiosity and confusion increase.

"Neither a Magical Knight nor Demon," It inquired as the void held it in place, "What are you trying to become?"

As the tendrils of magic surrounded him, he could feel himself transform. Giving himself a once over as the mana receded, he looked pleased at his new form. He wore a gray vest against a white dress-shirt that was coupled with six buttons sporting a black clover design. They were accompanied by a double-breasted tailcoat and a pair of black trousers. White gloves covered his newly acquired mark from the lantern, though he could still see the glow of its power beneath the silky material. The cufflinks at the end of his sleeves had an emblem of a gold-colored cross with four-pointed stars at the corners. The headband, that had once been in his hand, had transformed into a dark-purple half-crown created from a structure of connected crosses. It rested on the left side of his head. Though he could not see it, he sensed that his ears had become pointed and the warmth on his cheek signaled that the magic had left yet another symbol of power on his body. Finishing off the new form, He could sense wings of dark mana behind him. From the corner of his eye, almost in a cruel sense of irony, he could see them shaped similar to Walpurgisnacht's own wings.

"Indeed," Yuno mused as the last of his power settled into place, "As I am now, I am not a Demon any longer." He thought back to Asta's 'God' form and how easily Yuno had been able to shatter it. "He was as sacred as the divine," Yuno pondered with a smirk aimed towards the Incubator, "But I pulled him from heavens and undermined him." In his new form, he approached the creature. "A being that could perform such acts," He stated as he tugged and tightened his gloves, "Could only be called a Devil, I suppose."

"Trying to make use of human emotion is just too dangerous," Nero declared as it tried to flutter away from his approaching presence. Yet the void prevented the bird from escaping. "We could never hope to control something whose final form is so irrational," It admitted as it continued to struggle in order to flee.

"Is that so?" Yuno responded as he reached out. He grabbed the creature, squeezing a startled breath from it. "But to handle all the curses that have spread around our world," He murmured in a deadly smooth tone, "You Incubators are necessary for us now." Bringing Nero closer to him, he raised his other hand. "So you'll be staying to help," Yuno declared as he tapped its beak almost playfully, "Incubator." And for a moment as the universe's rebirth concluded, Yuno could see a true emotion of fear in its eyes.


	20. Rebellion: Part 11

**Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then prepared to be spoiled.**

 **I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor Black Clover. They belong to their respective owners. For entertainment purposes.**

* * *

To anyone else, it was a peaceful day. Normal in fact, with a bright blue sky. The pathway to the school was lined with blooming trees and filled with students chatting about their lives without a care in the world. Yet none could see Yuno nor his familiars as he observed them in the space between dimensions. He didn't want to enter the new world until he finished checking on the others. He sat underneath an umbrella table he had summoned as he drank some tea.

Charmy walked by in her school uniform. She smiled, not giving a sign of noticing him. She held a cinnamon bun in her hand as she took a bite. She paused as a petal landed on her treat. Yuno dropped his cup's plate as a test. It shattered, and he watched as she flinched slightly. She turned around as her eyes looked for anything unusual. But she found nothing as she plucked the petal from her treat. But in the split second she had detected his plane, the petal in her hand had transformed into a black feather. He left her gazing at the object, making note that her connection to him still existed albeit weak.

Kahono sat on one of the benches facing the canals that lined the walkway. She had her earbuds in her ears, mouthing the words to her favorite tune. Reaching in her bag, she threw out handfuls of bread crumbs at the gathering of crows. His familiars swarmed the offering while she watched with a laugh. Grabbing a piece of toast for herself, she munched on it in peace. However, as Yuno was beginning to warp away from her, she pulled out her earbuds and snapped her head towards him. Her eyes narrowed as she stood up, scaring the crows away in the process. But he could tell that Kahono was like Charmy. Not a threat now, but a future obstacle to be aware of for later. Speaking of threats.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Noelle snapped at him from behind. It was surprising she was able to enter his space by her own volition. He'd have to fix that. Yuno looked over his shoulder. The girl was shaking in rage with the grip on her bag nearly white from pressure.

"I do but feel free to enlighten me."

She pointed a finger at him, her digits trembling with her barely contained emotions. "You broke off a piece of the Law of Cycles," She nearly snarled as her posture turned more hostile, "It was the only salvation us Magical Knights had!"

Yuno almost scoffed. Salvation that came at too high a price and too cruel a burden. Still it would probably be best to try to reason with her, lest she lunge at him in a vain attempt to strangle him. He'd like to start off this new world as peacefully as he could after all.

He turned back to face the pathway and brought his hands together in front of him as he rested his chin on them. "I only took a tiny sliver," He amended, "The piece that used to be Asta before he ceased to exist." Noelle couldn't argue against that, though he could see her bite her lip. "For some reason," He admitted while he hummed and played with the edge of his glass teacup using his fingers, "You all got pulled in with him and can't return to where you came from either."

"You had no right to screw everything up like this!"

"I'm an existence called 'evil' now," Yuno stated as he stood up and began walking towards Noelle in slow, calculated steps. She straightened up in response, no doubt getting into her fight mode. "And if evil is supposed to disrupt the divine and be a force of chaos," He added as he leaned down just a few inches away from her face, "It's only natural I'd upset the laws of a god." Her gaze never wavered as she continued to stare up at him. Her stubbornness almost admirable.

"Oh, yeah," She challenged as she began to summon her Demon self, "What will you do next?" The water from the canal sprang up like a blue curtain. It fell and revealed the Water Dragon behind its veil. "Will you destroy everything?" She asked as a growl got trapped in her throat. She always had been such a 'hero of justice,' hadn't she?

"After all the Beasts are destroyed," Yuno mused, "Maybe I will." He turned from Noelle and walked back towards the walkway. The canal water overflowed and swirled into a sickly purple as it flooded the land beneath their feet. "When that day comes," He called over his shoulder, "I suppose I can be your enemy then." Yuno summoned a portion of his power to him as a blackish-purple gleam glowed beneath his glove.

"The question is," He said as he snapped his fingers, "Will you be able to stand against me?" In an instant, Noelle's Demon form vanished as their link was severed. He sensed Noelle's sudden confusion and the terror that surrounded her being. "You're having trouble remembering, aren't you?" He questioned almost soothingly.

He could hear feet tapping rapidly towards them. In the corner of his eye, he saw Bell in a bright-green, polka-dot dress, with a red schoolbag attached to her shoulders, come racing. But she wasn't interested in the two of them nor in confronting him. She seemed happy twirling among the now falling black feathers whilst giggling to herself. He could hear the true joy in her laughter too. Whether she remembered anything, he couldn't tell. Though judging by the fact she had entered his domain, he had a strong suspicion she could. The elementary schooler passed by the two of them without incident.

Turning his attention towards Noelle again, satisfied he wouldn't have two challengers, he waited patiently as the girl gathered her wits. "I think I remember being a part of something," She whispered. Closing her eyes, she clarified, "Some being or power bigger than this world." She raised a hand to cover her face. "But I don't remember anymore," She admitted, "All I know is I'm not supposed to be here."

"You're getting another chance at being human again," Yuno reasoned calmly, "If anything, you should be happy about that." The water at their feet turned into a black fog as Yuno began to dismiss his own void. "Eventually," He stated evenly, "Life here will seem natural to you, and you'll forget all about the past." Noelle lowered her hand and opened her eyes.

Meeting his gaze angrily, she gave him one last retort before Yuno closed his domain for the time being. "Even if I do," She vowed as the mist swarmed up her body, "There's one thing I won't forget." Her gaze melted and boiled. "You, Yuno Akemi," She hissed, "Are a Devil!"

He almost wanted to laugh at her for pointing out the obvious. Still it wouldn't be good to have her constantly be at his throat. "Careful," He warned softly, "We should pretend to be on good terms with one another." Smiling as the void began to flicker out of existence. "After all," He concluded, "If you're always attacking me…"

"Asta might end up hating you."

* * *

Professor Yami lounged against his desk chair with his feet propped on top of his table. Professor Finral looked exasperated beside him as he gave up trying to reel in the class before him. Miss Vanessa just laughed at the scene before her. Yuno could hear the three of them talking about this and that, like how Vanessa had just gotten a new kitten for starters, while the trio waited for the classroom's energy to die down a little before the big announcement.

Not that Yuno could care. While it was true that he missed being in Professor Vangeance's class, he could put up with being in the "Black Bulls" for the moment. His eyes drifted to a desk just a few rows ahead to the left. Silver pigtails and pink eyes met his gaze briefly before pointedly turning to face the front. He couldn't tell what she was planning nor how she transferred out of her brother's classroom and into this one so fast. All he knew was that she was up to something, especially after their confrontation earlier. Yuno would be damned if he let her destroy all his hard work. Two could play at this game.

Reddish-brown hair swished back and forth, catching Noelle's attention. She turned her head towards the other girl, who responded with a smile. While it was true that normally Kahono wouldn't be in this school, after the labyrinth, Yuno had decided that she had earned a place in Clover City. Besides, she served as an excellent distraction to Noelle. Though he had no doubt that stubborn girl would continue whatever plan she had. At least, Kahono would slow her down long enough for Yuno to put down some countermeasures.

The classroom had quieted down just enough to hear Yami pound his fist against the whiteboard. "Listen up, you brats," the stoic man said with his voice tinted in annoyance, "Or I'll kill ya." That brought the noise level to zero as no one dared to call his bluff. Satisfied, Yami nodded towards Vanessa, who cleared her throat.

"You'll be having a new student in class, starting today," She chirped cheerfully. "He just recently moved to Clover City," She added as she clapped her hands together, "So I expect everyone to do their best to make him feel welcome." As excited murmurs began to overcome the class, Vanessa pointed her finger out towards them. "And being 'welcome,'" She amended, "Does _not_ mean fighting them on first day of school." Though she said this in general, her eyes were locked on to Luck Voltia. Content at the grumbles of agreement, she left to go fetch the new student.

Even if Yuno knew what was about to occur, it still didn't stop him from being slightly surprised when Asta strutted through the door. Even in a room full of people who were now strangers, the other never lost his confidence. Asta stopped in the middle of the classroom, waiting for Vanessa to catch up. She motioned to him to introduce himself.

"My name's Asta Kaname!" Asta greeted as he bowed enthusiastically to the class, "Nice to meet you!" Everyone in the classroom, minus Yuno, winced or flinched at the sheer volume of his tone. Even Noelle couldn't help but furrow her brows in annoyance. It almost made him laugh. At this point, the other's usual loudness was comforting. "I moved from Hage to Clover City this month," Asta continued as he straightened up. Rubbing the back of his neck, he grinned and said, "So I'm still learning my way about."

Vanessa patted him on the shoulder, either to interrupt him or give the class's ears a chance to adjust. As she wrote his name on the board, she called out, "Let's give him a friendly reception as well." The class clapped slightly as they all tried to recover from the assault on their ear drums. But they were, at least, making an effort to be welcoming. Vanessa pointed to seat in the front for Asta to use before heading out the door with a wave goodbye. Finral picked up a textbook in one hand and a marker in the other, trying to capitalize on the relative quiet and continue teaching to the best he could. Yami settled back into his desk, eyes closed, to nap.

* * *

As soon as the bell rang for the scheduled break, Yuno stood up and made his way towards Asta's desk. A small group of students had already begun to pest him with questions ranging from "Are you a good fighter?!" to "What do you think of Clover City?" One of the students, Magna, had slammed his hands against Asta's desk with a loud _bang_ in a failed attempt to startle the boy. Even though he had his hair sleeked back into a silver and black mohawk as well as the complete aura of being a "punk," Asta just laughed at the other's antics. Good. Asta would adjust back into the class all right after all.

Still, after Noelle's encounter, he wanted to be sure there were no remaining memories. Doing a quick check behind his back, he saw said girl talking with Kahono. Kahono's arm was swung around her shoulders with an earbud appearing in one of their ears. From her behavior, Yuno could tell she was showing Noelle all her favorite songs. That should keep the silvery girl distracted long enough for Yuno to do his check.

"You'll tire Mister Kaname out," Yuno called as he approached Asta, "Asking him questions like that." Magna snorted and muttered something like "Pretty boy's here" before begrudgingly dispersing to go roughhouse with Luck. Yuno had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the response. Instead, he focused on making sure his face gave none of his emotions away.

When he was the last one at Asta's desk, he turned to the other and said, "I'm Yuno Akemi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Yuno tried to tell himself that it was the cool sensation of relief he was feeling rather than the icy touch of grief he received when he saw no true recognition in the other's eyes. Just the normal excitement of meeting someone new. Despite not wanting to, he longed for something just a little familiar between the two of them. "May I call you 'Asta?'" He asked calmly, though it felt like he had blurted the words out without thinking.

"Sure," Asta replied with a bright grin, "Only if I get to call you, 'Yuno.'" That was acceptable, and Yuno had never been more thankful for Asta's lack of manners in the proper sense. Perhaps in time, this world would feel like the first one to him again, where there was no bad blood between the two of them from countless times. Maybe he could even repair his broken bonds. Still, he had a mission at the moment.

Nodding, Yuno gave a small smile of his own. "This may be abrupt," Yuno offered, "But can I give you a tour of the school?" Just a quick walk around the buildings to ease his doubts. That would be enough. Asta gave him a thumbs up as he stood and gestured in a 'lead the way' motion.

* * *

"Thanks for showing me around!" Asta exclaimed after a while of touring. Their time together had been going well. As far as Yuno could tell, there was no remaining memories in Asta. He looked at the hallways and classrooms they passed with no hint of being able to identify the paths they were walking. Even the small talk they had been engaging in didn't indicate that there was any of the old universe left in Asta.

"It's not a problem," Yuno replied as they rounded a corner. Still, he couldn't relax. They were almost at that accursed walkway where he had confronted Asta so many times. He had to shove the nervous twitch of his fingers away by putting his hands in his pockets. One last stop and then he'd have nothing to worry about. At school anyway. He should probably ask about the city itself and make a list of places to visit with Asta to confirm he had no residing memories. "How's it feel to be in Clover City?" Yuno questioned after a beat as he tried to get a sense of what to look for in the other.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Asta scratch the back of his neck. "It's weird," Asta admitted as they reached the pathway between the student and faculty buildings. Yuno's heart skipped a beat. The other couldn't be… "But," Asta added as he broke Yuno from his thoughts, "It feels familiar in a way."

"This place most likely just reminds you of Hage," Yuno replied quickly, trying to shut down whatever thoughts were running through the other's head. They were halfway through the walkway. Maybe once they passed it, whatever was reminding Asta of the past would stop too. Yet fate was never so kind.

"That's not it," Asta mumbled as Yuno sensed the other stop moving. Yuno turned his head back to see the other gazing out the glass windows in a daze. Before Yuno could turn around, Asta continued, "If anything, it's like I was supposed to be here." No, no, no. Yuno's heart was beginning to pound painfully in his chest. Asta continued though, unable to sense his distress.

"No," He corrected, "Not just here." A spark of mana swirled around his feet. "I was somewhere," He whispered, "Everywhere." Yuno couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. He had to do something. His worst fear was coming to life in front of his eyes, and his body was refusing to listen to him.

"That's right…" Asta gasped lightly as magic poured from his being, "I should have a different form, a different role." The swirls of energy that whirled around him summoned something straight out of Yuno's nightmares at this point and filled the area around them. To others, the scene would likely be found as beautiful with its swimming galaxies and possibilities. Yet Yuno watched with bated breath as the Universal Void pooled around them, just a moment away from snatching Asta back. The terror filling his chest finally kicked in and allowed him to move as Yuno darted back towards Asta. He hugged the other to him, cementing both their forms to this reality – no to the present.

"W-what…?! Yuno?!"

Yuno ignored Asta's shock. His heart was pounding so fast that it was like it wasn't beating at all. "It's all right," Yuno murmured as he tried to tell himself that he had made it in time. Asta was still here. He tightened his grip, trying to catch his breath. "You're exactly what you truly are," He pressed urgently. Asta shoved him off, but Yuno noticed in relief that the Universal Void had disappeared and returned the familiar hallway in its wake. Yet for how long would it stay away?

Placing a hand over his face and hiding his eyes that held what some might consider madness at this point, Yuno tried to keep his breathing even as his chest tightened more. "Asta Kaname," Yuno murmured, not realizing at first that the words were slipping from his mouth, " Do you treasure this world?" The other made a startled noise at his sudden words, but Yuno paid no attention as his mind doubled back to all his labors used in creating this world where the other was, not a concept, but flesh and blood. Were his efforts still in vain after all? Could he not change Asta's fate, even now?

"What kind of questions are those?" Asta countered, more in confusion than annoyed anger. Through the cracks of his fingers, Yuno could see the boy cross his arms across his chest as he attempted to think about Yuno's questions. It would have made him smile once upon a time, seeing the other try to answer him so seriously. No matter the question, he had always enjoyed wondering what response the other would have. Now, his heart thudded in agony over what his reply might be.

"I do treasure it!" Asta declared as Yuno felt something inside him _crack_ upon hearing it. No… Whatever it was inside of him, it had broken long ago. The _crack_ had been the flimsy attempt to repair it. Had it been 'hope' at one point? He couldn't remember.

"I see," Yuno responded quietly as he lowered his hand. For a brief moment, his hand patted his blazer pocket. Oh, he still had Asta's headband, or a copy he made of it anyway. Asta did always look happier with it on, didn't he? Ignoring the slightest tremble in his fingers as he drew it out, he gazed at the black band in his palm for single moment before holding it out to Asta. The other paused slightly at the sudden gift before grabbing it and putting it on with something like confused relief swimming in his eyes. With or without the feeling of fading memories, somethings never do change, it seems, if Asta had accepted it from him without question like that.

If that's the case, then this truly was a pointless endeavor of Yuno's. He was just delaying the end again. Still, he wouldn't give up as he allowed a tired, fragile smile to form on his face. Turning around, Yuno said over his shoulder, "Then I suppose someday, you will become my enemy as well." If Asta was startled or not at his words, he couldn't tell. "But I don't care," He continued, "Because even then…" There was a slight stinging in his eyes that whispered how he was still weak, how he would still end up failing. He took a slight breath before finishing, "I will continue to wish for a world in which you'll be happy." He ignored the lone tear that slipped past his cheek as he left.

* * *

Yuno almost missed the sounds of the little ones from the Church, but it was better this way. For him to live here, in this apartment alone. It didn't matter that it was in one of the underdeveloped parts of town. Any security measures he needed, he could create with magic along with any furniture he could be missing. Not to mention, there was no risk of getting interrupted by a surprise knocking or Sister Lily's voice calling him down for dinner. He could finally do things at his own, preferred pace. It was…great. Perfect, no matter what small part of him said otherwise. He could even spend all his time outside of school and the like developing plans to counter any Beasts or silver Magical Knights. Speaking of which…

Activating the screen on the wall, Yuno peered into it to see Kahono dragged Noelle to a karaoke bar. Before the silver haired girl could process what was happening, Kahono had shoved her into a booth. Noelle still hesitated, looking worried, until the other girl shoved a microphone into her hand. Kahono had begun to sing into her own as she twirled around and got into the beat of the song. A couple cheery lyrics had Noelle laughing at the other girl's antics. The worried expression vanished and was replaced with blushing embarrassment that Noelle tried to hide by singing loudly into her mic.

Deciding that there was nothing to worry about just yet, he switched his focus. With a wave of his hand, the scene changed to see Bell in a light-green dress resembling that of an upside-down flower and matching flats standing before a fallen Charmy. Charmy was wearing a pale yellow, long-sleeve shirt accompanied by a black skirt patterned in sweet designs. Finishing off her outfit, she also wore black tights and pale-yellow flats. The fact that the older girl's bag was on the ground beside her in the cake massacre of crumbled boxes and frosting, Yuno assumed Charmy had been carrying at least ten boxes before running into Bell. As she kneeled among the sweet destruction, her attention turned towards the small child. In the elementary-schooler's hands, Bell was holding the last surviving cake box. The girl presented the surviving box happily to the other as Charmy looked up with watery gratitude.

With another wave of his hand, the scene changed to the Church. He saw Asta greet the little ones as they all ran around him in amazement. He could imagine each one clamoring on with questions about who he was, where he was from. Nash stood to the side of the chaos, helping Sister Lily make dinner. Father Ofai was rubbing the back of his head as he apologized to Asta over the ruckus, only to wince at the volume Asta responded with. Still, Asta was grinning and laughing happily as he chatted with the Church family like he had always been there.

Staring too long at the smiling face, Yuno blinked in surprise as the bells of the Church rang out. In the windows of his apartment, the sunset's blood-red light had almost faded away. The wall changed as it transformed into a map of Clover City that was split up into districts. Several red dots had shown up in a couple of those districts as information about the oncoming monsters appeared. Snapping his fingers, the map focused on the closest one. A Beast in the form of a fiery boar could be seen trampling about.

From the corner of the room, he heard fluttering. Smiling almost twistedly to himself, Yuno felt his form change as his new magic took shape. It surrounded him for a moment in a swirling black mist while he transformed. Tightening his gloves on his hands, he peered into the golden cage. Black feathers ruffled with bits of crimson appeared before him, accompanied by red eyes that trembled and held the weight of the despair that had been given to them. Still Nero didn't make a peep as Yuno grabbed him with one hand, though it was no doubt still conscious. Poking the creature on its beak, Yuno smirked as the mark on his cheek glowed.

"Come on, Incubator. There's work to be done."

* * *

 **Author's Note from imjustawriter:**  
And that concludes the Madoka Magica AU. Unless they make a fourth movie to which I will revisit this universe then. To be honest, I was hoping to post this story sooner, but life and the fact that it turned out bigger than was originally planned kept me busy. The editing alone took about a week, haha.

Thanks for reading and your patience! Feel free to let me what you thought of it. If not, then I still hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

 **Side Note:**  
I've started working on my next work called Clover Graves, and I should have the first arc posted in November. If you like my writing style, then please feel free to check it out and give it a read :)

As I re-read the all the lovely comments from everyone, I feel more inspired to work more with this universe. I have a couple ideas for some side-stories as a companion to this fic that I might write during winter break after I hopefully post at least 2 arcs of Clover Graves. If I do end up creating them, they'll probably be their own separate work as I feel this one is complete unless the series comes out with either a fourth movie or while writing the side-stories I think of a third act to conclude it myself. So for now, this fic will remain completed.

* * *

 **Story Fun-facts:**  
(Just in case you were wondering why I put this person in this role, added something, etc. If you have any questions about my process with this fic, feel free to ask!)

Bell's and Charmy's relationship is pretty rocky in the manga, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it stemmed from the fact Bell was attached to Yuno. In this universe, Bell had attached herself to Charmy, so I imagine she'd be kinder to her though I can see them still having arguments here and there as if they were sisters. Bell's lack of jealousy here mostly comes from the fact she understands she has an important job to undertake. Not to mention, no one is interested in Charmy romantically speaking as of yet.

Asta's a bit smarter and more aware than his manga counterpart due to the fact he quite literally became a part of the universe. That would, I hope, make any character a little more smart if they achieved what is basically godhood. In addition, Asta's smaller role in this part is due to the fact he was searching for a way out of the labyrinth without trying to alert Nero or have the Incubator observe Yuno too closely.

Whether Noelle and Kahono are together as romantic partners or best friends who enjoy riling each other up. I leave up to you. Personally, I can see them as either.

Both Yuno and Homura I feel have a form of post traumatic distress disorder as a result of all the suffering they endured repeating time after time. Perhaps this helped tip them over the edge and cause their actions towards the end of the story. As for Yuno's "Devil" form, I was inspired by mixing Sebastian's butler unifo

* * *

 **Symbolism:**

 **While I didn't end up using the entire list, I thought it would be interesting to post regardless for those who like to read it.**

 **Found using the language of flowers's website:**

 _Bittersweet - Truth_

 _Camellia (Pink) - Longing For You_

 _Camellia (Red) - You're a Flame in My Heart_

 _Carnation (Pink) - I'll Never Forget You_

 _Carnation (Red) - My Heart Aches For You, Admiration_

 _Carnation (Striped) - No, Refusal, Sorry I Can't Be with You, Wish I Could Be with You_

 _Chrysanthemum (White) - Truth_

 _Chrysanthemum (Yellow) - Slighted Love_

 _Daffodil - Regard, Unequalled Love, You're the Only One, The Sun is Always Shining When I'm with You_

 _Fern - Magic, Fascination, Confidence and Shelter_

 _Marigold - Cruelty, Grief, Jealousy_

 _Orange, Mock - Deceit_

 _Petunia - Resentment, Anger, Your Presence Soothes Me_

 _Rose (Tea) - I'll Remember Always_

 _Snapdragon - Deception, Gracious Lady_

 _Zinnia (Yellow) - Daily Remembrance_

 _Nightshade, Enchanter - Witchcraft, Sorcery, Skepticism_

 _Oleander (Rosebay) - Beware_

 _Osmunda - Dreams_

 _Pansy, Purple - You occupy my thoughts_

 _Pear - Affection_

 _Pheasant's Eye (Adonis) - Sorrowful Remembrance_

 _Poplar, White - Time_

 _Poppy, White - Sleep, My Antidote_

 _Primrose - Young Love, Early youth, I can't live without you_

 _Raspberry - Remorse_

 _Rhododendron, Rosebay - Danger, Beware_

 _Rose, Deep Pink - Appreciation, Grattitude, ''Thank You for being in my life''_

 _Syringa - Memory_

 _Willow - Forsaken_

 _Witch Hazel - A spell_

 _Zinnia - Thoughts of absent friends_

 **Found using lzmarieauthor's website:**

 _Apple: A symbol of love, fertility, and youth. Purported to be the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden's Tree of Knowledge, it is the quintessence of temptation. In China, this fruit symbolizes peace._

 _Date: The Arab Tree of Life, it is associated with endurance. In ancient Egypt it symbolizes date is linked to male fertility._

 _Grape: The fruit of the vine is the favorite of Bacchus ( Roman god) known for fornication, bacchus parties, drunkenness, and all around fun times! It has quite the opposite meaning for Christians, where wine symbolizes the blood of Christ and Jesus's first miracle. Grapes are usually associated with agriculture and the fall harvest._

 _Lemon: Symbolic of bitterness and disappointment. Christians linked the fruit to fidelity. Because it was imported to some countries–and expensive–it became a symbol of wealth._

 _Melon: Linked to gluttony, luxury, wealth, and creativity. Their sweet flavor and moisture are associated with sensuality._

 _Pear: The swollen shape of the fruit is suggestive of sensuality. (Remember that when someone calls you pear-shaped). Ancient Greeks believed Athena was the mother of pear trees. In China, it is symbolic of a long life._

 _Pomegranate: Slice it open and you have lots of shiny, wet seeds, and –yup that can only mean one thing–the fruit is suggestive of the womb. Ancient Greeks believed the fruit had restorative properties._

 _Tomato: Dubbed the "love apple" in early European times, this fruit was deemed an aphrodisiac because of its numerous seeds. It was also the perfect Aztec side dish for a cannibalistic meat course._


End file.
